The One
by The Lovely Psyche
Summary: They're pretty, talented, special, and complete with 100% ALPHA-tude. Meet the Taylor Swifts: Reid, Summer, Alice, Ali and Vivian. Five girls - one goal, one dream, one aspiration - and ONE WINNER. Thousands applied, a hundred got in, and ONE will win.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to Alpha Academy, a special island to educate and nurture 100 girls to reach their full potential as alphas. Thousands applied, a hundred got in and word is, only one will survive. Do you have what it takes to be The One?

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She's the one,

Who every boy wants and ever girl wants to be,

Who can charm the pants off the grumpiest old man in town,

Who's the girl every ex-girlfriend hates and every boyfriend adores,

Who dances like no one's watching and sings like no one's listening,

Who's the girlfriend that all boy's mothers love,

Who's the girl that's copied and mimicked in her fashion style,

Who's the one that's the alpha,

No matter what the occasion,

Who's the girl that always knows what to say,

Who's the girl who always steals the spotlight,

All the time.

Do you have what it takes,

To be The One?

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**CHAPTER ONE**

Vivian Dresden's purple skating dress swished past her legs as she skimmed the ice rink twice before launching straight into a double Lutz jump and spinning into a camel sit-spin before straightening up again. A few dark curls escaped from her loose bun and dancing in the icy wind she created as she shot around the wind like an escaped bullet. Her dark eyes narrowed in concentration as she twirled and spun while the music sang through the arena and through her body. _Make your body fluid and solid._ She could almost hear her mother's words as she pulled up a leg and into an arabesque. Clenching her leg muscles tightly and sucking in her stomach, she completed a full 360 degree turn on a single thin blade of her skate. She finished the turn, lowered her leg and floated through an intricate set of steps and moves before gracefully striking her ending pose as the music swelled and finished.

"Not bad," her coach's thickly accented Russian voice commented.

Vivian's coach, Natalyia, glided up to Vivian and adjusted her arm position before scrutinizing Vivian with her piercing light blue eyes. Vivian stood motionlessly while Natalyia scanned her body for a single heaving breath, a wrong twitch of her fingers or a slight change of her elbow degree. She found nothing. Vivian's form was perfect, with her arms lifted like a ballerina at the barre, her slim legs tilted and her chin up. Her purple skating dress glimmered slightly in the light as the light bounced off the sequins that adorned the bodice and skirt. A few narrow straps held the dress on while modeling her delicate shoulders and toned arms.

"You stress much, Vivian," Natalyia shook her blonde head, "Good form but too much tension. I know you apply to Alpha but focus on skating while wait for accept letter." With her tight black skating dress, blonde hair pulled into the tightest bun Vivian had ever seen and her icy blue eyes, Natalyia looked strict and intimidating as well as wound up tighter than a drum. Natalyia Gerschenkron had been Vivian's skating coach since Vivian had first started at the tender age of 4. She was a former Olympic gold winner in the Russian Winter Olympics back when she was 23 and had settled into the job of coaching new skaters to win the gold.

Vivian lowered her arms and shifted out from her pose, "I'm not stressing!" That wasn't entirely true, Vivian had sent in an application to Alpha Academy a few months ago, back in the beginning of summer with a video tape of her skating programs and a ridiculously long essay that she had begged her friend, Meggie, to help her with. She had known that the acceptance letters would be arriving soon and had checked her mailbox consistently, waiting for a certain golden envelope.

Ever since Vivian was four, her dream was to win the gold in the Olympics. It had been her mother's dream too, back when her mother was still the beautiful and talented Danielle Dresden who worked every hour at rink to train for the gold. An unexpected fall and a leg injury had rendered her incapable of skating for over two years and possibly the rest of her life. Needless to say, Danielle had been devastated and furious with herself and had somehow gotten herself pregnant a few months later with Vivian's elder sister, Karolyn. Karolyn had also been sent to ice-skating school at the tender age of four but had quitted when she was 8 due to a terrifying fall and \an ankle sprain. No matter how much Vivian's mother had begged Karolyn to continue skating, Karolyn had stubbornly refused and never set foot on the ice again. That left Vivian to skate her mother's dreams as well as her own and make her mother proud by winning the gold. It was her mother's dream, and now – it was hers.

With the loss of her Olympic dream, Danielle Dresden now designed her youngest daughter's skating apparel, from simple skating dresses to elaborate dresses for competitions. Princess of Ice was the name of the fashion line that Vivian's mother had created while Vivian and Karolyn modeled the dresses. Vivian modeled them in action, from shots taken during her spins and jumps on the ice while Karolyn modeled them in a studio.

"Yes, you stress Vivian," Natalyia tsked, "Now, go over combo starting from double toe loop and you need perfect triple axel before go to Alpha."

Vivian merely nodded her head and sliced her legs through the air as she built up some speed before starting her double toe loop. Natalyia skimmed over to the edge of the rink and cued up Vivian's music.

A few hours after her grueling session with Natalyia, Vivian slipped her skates back into her gym bag and shimmied out of her skating dress and into an off-white elbow-sleeved thin shirt and a navy blue skirt. A thick black belt with a heart-shaped buckle completed her outfit. She sidled through the glass doors of the rink and headed towards the gym, located on the other side of the Colorado Springs Skating Center. She scanned the gym before her eyes rested on a blonde girl running lightly on a treadmill, making it seem like she was skipping through flowers rather than running through an intensive work-out session with Mr. Treadmill. She swept the gym again looking for another girl, this time finding her doing crunches with the intensity of a drill sergeant on a dark green mat near the corner of the gym.

"Meggie!" Vivian called out as she walked over to brunette who was doing her crunches. Meggie Chang was one of Vivian's best friends who skated alongside her as well as being the girl who helped Vivian write the application essay for Alpha Academy. Meggie was extremely pretty, thought Vivian with slight envy. With her brown almond-shaped eyes, perfectly straight hair and light skin tone, Meggie was the epitome of a perfect Asian beauty. The Chinese skater had been Vivian's bestie since they were both 6 and no matter how hard they tried to beat each other, they still were just as close as sisters.

"145, 146, 147," Meggie counted through her teeth as she did each crunch, "148, 149, 150! Done!" she collapsed back on the green mat as Vivian plopped herself down on the mat besides her. Meggie was dressed a lot more casually than Vivian, with a pair of plain gray sweats and a gray sports bra. Her toned stomach was perfectly flat, just like Vivian's. All the girls at Colorado Springs Skating Center had bodies that were never less than perfect. Not a single inch of extra fat were allowed the girls. All of them had a diet course planned out for them since they first started and eating chips and soda were considered one of the biggest sins a Colorado Springs skater could so.

"Almost done?" Vivian asked. Each girl arrived at the gym for a solid two hours of work-outs before heading to the rink for a private session with their own coach. Two hours of running at least three miles, at least 250 crunches, and a ballet class to keep their body in good condition made up the girls' work-out sessions. Vivian had already been at the rink since six am and had finished her early skating session as well as her daily work-out before heading back home where she would be homeschooled by her mother. Meggie went to a public school like any normal girl, spending less time at the rink than Vivian, who never allowed anything to conflict with her skating.

"Done with everything except for ballet," Meggie yanked her elastic out of her ponytail and twisted her hair into a bun before securing it with a bobby pin that she had seemingly plucked out of nowhere.

"Ballet is a nightmare," agreed a voice from behind Vivian. The blonde from the treadmill sat down gracefully besides Vivian and Meggie.

"Hey, Andie," Vivian hugged the girl.

Andromeda Winston was another one of Vivian's skating besties. With her golden blond curls and twinkling turquoise eyes, she looked like a perfect angel on the ice in her pearly white skating dress. "Jamie's still in ballet," Andromeda reported. She hooked a stray curl behind her ear as she flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. "So what's up?"

"Ohmuhgud, I totally forgot!" Meggie leaped up from the green mat and rummaged around her gym bag. "I ran into Karolyn today at the mall and she said she was looking for you to give you this…"

Meggie dug around in her bag some more while Andromeda and Vivian looked on in confusion. "Found it!" she yanked out a gleaming gold envelope and waved it around wildly before handing it over to Vivian with a giant smile on her face.

"OHMUHGUD!" Vivian snatched up the gold letter and ripped it open.

_Welcome to the inaugural class of Alpha Academy…._

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X-X-X

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Summer Williams tapped her green pen on her chin as she stared at a sheet of paper in front of her. A bustling city hurried along below her apartment window as she threw a brief glance out the window, located conveniently right by her desk. Taxis whizzed by the streets, people rushed around and pigeons flocked around the heart of New York – New York City. She had lived in the big city her entire life, when her mother had first met her father. With her mother as a Broadway performer and her father as a talent-scout, New York City was the ideal home for the couple, hence the reason why Summer had grown up there.

She had gone to a certain private school in the heart of the city for her middle school years but would be sent to a boarding school the coming year if she wasn't accepted to Alpha Academy. A fact that devastated all of Summer's best friends, Rose Evans, Autumn Prescott and Raven Collups, from Sacred Heart Academy. If it wasn't Alpha Academy, it was either going to be Waverly or Easton. Her parents were always busy and thought it was best that Summer went to a boarding school. After all, weren't all boarding schools usually reserved for rich kids with busy parents?

Summer returned her attention back to her sheet of lined blue paper as the blue lines and red margin stared right back her. Writing songs and singing were Summer's way of letting her express the multitude of feelings that sometimes threatened to overwhelm her. Currently, a colorful swirl of emotions ran amok within her mind and bounced around like butterflies in her stomach. Anticipation, happiness and worry both danced gleefully throughout her body. Choosing the right words to begin a song always had provided a challenge for Summer, coming with the rest of the song was a piece of cake. Organizing her first few thoughts was the real challenge. Anticipation for the long-awaited acceptance letter from Alpha Academy, happiness from her delight as being awarded her first Grammy award just a few weeks ago and worry for the fear that she had not been accepted to Alpha Academy.

The honey-colored wooden furniture decorated Summer's room, pictures of her and her friends took up an entire wall and a tall bookshelf was stuffed with all her favorite books. Another set of shelves held her collection of CDs and a white Bose took up the entire corner of her room. Her twin bed with a green polka-dotted bedspread took up part of the room and the cream-colored carpet felt comfortably soft under her bare feet.

She bit her bottom lip, running a few phrases through her mind before a few words took shape in her loopy handwriting on the lines of the paper. Green words from her pen floated across the page as Summer bent over her desk. Memories danced through her mind, from singing her first solo at a charity event when she was six to the release of her very first album.

Her long blonde hair fell forward around her face as she bent over the page, her navy blue eyes focused intently on her writing. Sunlight streamed through the window, making certain streaks in her hair gleam golden. Freckles were sprinkled across her slightly large nose like rainbow sprinkles on the frosting of a cupcake and her long legs stretched out under the desk. She tucked a blonde wave behind her hair as she continued on writing, concentrating so hard that she didn't notice the apartment door bang open – announcing her younger brother's arrive from school.

"Yo, Summer!" Greg Williams shouted from the living room, "You got some mail, sis!"

Summer's eyes flicked up from her page in annoyance, she hated being interrupted when she was in the middle of writing. She stood up from the desk and stalked out into the living room. "What?" she demanded as she stared down her brother.

Twelve-year old Greg Williams tossed an entire stack of envelopes onto the dining table and threw himself down into a lazy sprawl on the fancy couch of the living room. Summer sighed at the stack of mail, it had always been her job to sort and organized the millions of letters her family received every day. With her mother as a well-known performer on Broadway, there were always countless letters asking her mother to join dance companies, movie contracts and more while letters were sent to her father who was a talent-scout and asking him to please come check out a certain high school or college. And Summer herself received quite a few letters from fans, recording studios and others that were related to her own job as a singer-slash-songwriter.

She pulled out a chair from the table and settled down to sort the pile of mail while Greg pulled out a math textbook and started on his homework. Her skintight light-washed jeans hugged her long skinny legs like an extra skin while a black t-shirt with THE BEATLES splattered over it completed her casual outfit. Her slim clear-polished fingers pulled envelopes off from the stack and placed them in each respective pile. A pile for advertisements, a pile for her mother, a pile for her father and a final pile for herself.

"Guess what, Summer?" Greg sat up from the couch and scowled slightly as his messy blond hair flopped into his eyes.

"What?"

"Mom's not even coming home for a few weeks," he glared at the text message from his phone, "She's never freaking home!"

"She's busy," shrugged Summer casually. Her mother had always been busy, busy, busy ever since Summer could remember. If she wasn't in some new movie or Broadway show, she'd be running some modeling gig. Selene Williams had gotten pregnant with Summer during high school and had married Summer's father, Roberto Williams just to get away from her horrified and furious family. Summer couldn't remember ever meeting her grandparents, aunts or cousins from her mother's side. Her grandparents had practically cut her mother off when they found out that Selene was pregnant. They were strict, old-fashioned and had thought teenage pregnancy was the worst thing that ever happened to any girl in the world. Now, her mother was too caught up in her glamorous life to pay the slightest bit of attention to Summer and Greg. If she wasn't doing something related to the city, Selene Williams would have escaped to some exotic island for a vacation with Summer's father, Roberto Williams.

Summer had learned from a very young age to look out for herself, making her extremely mature and responsible for her age. Her family wasn't rich enough to employ their own babysitter for Summer and Greg when they were kids so Summer had learned to take care of herself as well as Greg. A maid was employed to help clean the house at the end of every week but other than that, Summer and Greg were pretty much on their own. They had plenty of money to spare, money for food, money for clothes and money for expensive makeup although Summer barely wore anything besides tinted chapstick.

"Want to go out for some Chinese later tonight?" Summer tossed another letter for her mother in the pile and tilted back to look at her brother.

"Where?" Greg looked interested. Chinese take-out food was always good.

"That one place in Brooklyn," Summer answered, "I went there with Rose and Autumn once."

Rose Evans and Autumn Prescott were Summer's best friends since they met in the first day of sixth grade. Although Autumn was technically Summer's cousin, she was still considered one of Summer's best friends.

"Oh yeah, didn't we go there when Dad and Mom were at St. Bart's?" Greg's navy eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Summer and Greg were closer than the average brother and sister. Yes, Greg had pissed Summer off more times that she could count but the fact that they were each other's only family had brought them extremely close. With their parents gone the entire time, her mother's side of the family hating them, her father's side of the family somewhere in random Wisconsin, Summer and Greg were basically alone in the entire world with only each other.

"Yep," Summer popped the "p". She gathered up a few letters for her father and dumped them in one of the growing piles of mail. She picked up another handful of letters and saw a single gold envelope shining in the midst of the pile. She gasped.

It couldn't be. No, was it? It wasn't...or was it?

Summer stared at the golden envelope with increasing anticipation. Jumbled up thoughts bounced around her brain like bees on a wacked caffeine-induced fit. She had first applied to Alpha Academy back in May and here was a letter that looked very much like an acceptance letter. Was it...? If it was, going to Alpha Academy would be one of the best things that ever happened to her. She'd have a chance to live at Shira Brazille's infamous Alpha Island and met 99 other extremely talented girls. A one-way ticket to stardom.

"What is it, sis?" Greg looked over at his sister's sudden silence.

"I…..think I got something," Summer stuttered.

She carefully picked up the golden envelope as though she was afraid it might bite her and slit open the flap. A golden sheet of paper fell out. Summer unfolded the paper with trembling hands.

_Welcome to the inaugural class of Alpha Academy..._

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**Well? What did you think? Reviews are fantabulous. And as for this story, I've only got two submissions so far! Come on! This story isn't going anywhere until I get characters for it….and if I have to make my own up, where's the fun in that? Come on guys, you keep this story rolling **** Now as for houses, so far both submissions have stated their preference for Taylor Swift.**

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**I don't have a beta so the mistakes are all mine :)**

**-The Lovely Psyche**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! It's me (: and I'm back. Enjoy!

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**CHAPTER TWO**

Hundreds of feet up in the sky, Reid Dame stared contemplatively out the window of her golden Personal Alpha Plane, or PAP for short. She was currently picking out shapes and pictures in the clouds, a mermaid here, a whale there. Clouds floated serenely by as the plane headed towards its destination, Alpha Island, hundreds of miles out in the middle of nowhere. Her slim fingers were itching to paint something, anything. Painting had been Reid's life ever since she could remember. Maybe it was the time when her kindergarten teacher ordered her class to paint dinosaurs with their finger prints. Or maybe it was the time when her elementary school teacher instructed her how to use a paint brush for the first time. What the reason, Reid had been painting ever since the first time she laid her eyes on a can of paint.

Painting was her passion, and it was the thing that had gotten her into Alpha Academy. She had submitted quite a few sketches, portraits of her family and friends and watercolors of nature to Shira Brazille and had crossed her fingers and hoped to get in. A few months later, her answer came in the form of a golden envelope and a sparkling aPod that was supposed to be her new DBF, digital best friend.

"Pepsi?" a cool female voice asked. It had been talking to Reid since she first stepped foot onto the golden plane, asking her if she would like an almond cookie, a glass of Pepsi or anything else that she wanted.

"Yes, please," Reid answered. A cool glass of Pepsi was slid onto the small panel next to her armrest by a mechanic hand. "Thank you," she answered.

She took a sip from the glass and savored the tangy sweetness of the juice. She leaned back in her eco-friendly airplane seat and continued to stare out the window. She knew the entire plane was made out of recycled stuff, the voice had informed her about that the second she sat down. Apparently eco-friendly and energy-conserving would be a big part of Alpha Academy.

Thinking of Alpha Academy immediately set her nerves on again. Meeting new girls was always kind of hard for Reid. She hated that feeling of awkwardness and self-consciousness when first meeting someone for the first time. And anyways, she wasn't shy; sometimes she just didn't know what to say – a fact that her best friend Ally Lane had wholeheartedly agreed with. Ally and Reid had both been stereotyped as quiet, nerdy girls back in their old school. A girl who loved painting and a girl who was obsessed with band were immediately labeled "geeky." After all, the popular girls at the her old school considered coolness equivalent to cheerleading or the Class President.

Going to Alpha Academy would hopefully change that. Cure her of her awkwardness and make her a new confident, self-assured and relaxed alpha girl. After all, old Reid – the shy, awkward, nerdy girl – would be gone forever and new Reid – cool, talented, artistic and creative – would take her place. Phase one of her transformation had been applying to Alpha Academy and sending in her best artworks. Phase two involved getting rid of her braces and replacing her geeky glasses with contacts. Phase three included cutting her dirty blonde hair into a hair style that looked like it was from the pages of Seventeen. Phase four was complied of a shopping spree for new hair products and makeup. Phase five was a journey to improve and raise her self-esteem. A journey that was currently in progress as the plane sped toward Alpha Island.

Reid had hated the days back when sat in the background and the other beautiful and bitchy girls made fun of her secretly behind their shiny iPhones and rhinestone-studded compacts. If only they could see me now, she thought with slight satisfaction as gazed around the ultra-cool interior design of the PAP. On a plane that's on its way to Alpha Academy. She had hugged Ally goodbye a few hours ago when the PAP landed at the airport and picked her up. She had given Ally a friendship bracelet that she had slaved over for hours and a half of a heart-shaped necklace charm with BFFs written on it. The other half, which read FOREVER, hung on Reid's neck. Ally and Reid had been best friends since they were paired up for a science project back in second grade. Two girls who were too shy to talk to others became close to each other and stayed that way up until Reid's final year of middle school where she applied to Alpha Academy.

They had been the girls who were always picked last for PE sports teams, the girls who sat quietly in the back of the room, the girls who were labeled weird. The girls who were made fun of by the cheerleaders of the school. But Reid had hated that. She flipped through countless teen magazines, swept the shelves of makeup stores and spurged her two years of savings to get a ridiculously expensive but stylish new haircut. Now, new Reid was considered relatively pretty. With dirty blond hair, warm brown eyes that were carefully lined with kohl, straight white teeth and lips coated with Victoria's Secret Strawberry Fizz lipgloss, Reid Dame looked nothing like her old yearbook picture.

"In fifteen minutes and 56 seconds, this plane will be entering into the Alpha Island zone, with no connection to the outside world," the voice said coolly.

"No connection? Like no WiFi or phone signal?" Reid asked in surprise. For all she thought, Alpha Academy was a high-tech school and would have high-speed internet. Apparently not. It would be like being trapped in a little bubble floating in the center of a sea out in the middle of a desert. Weird.

"Yes, no connection," the voice instantly replied.

Reid frowned and picked up her aPod. If this was her last chance to talk to people, she might as well do it. She swiped a clear-polished fingernail across the sensitive touch-screen and watched as it unlocked. She tapped the internet browser and headed towards Facebook. Clicking on the status, she typed in a few words. _Well, I'm on my own plane, headed towards Alpha Academy and it's landing in a few minutes. So bye to all my friends and I love you guys! _She lifted her phone, turned it and snapped a quick photo of herself. An image of her new look filled the rectangular screen and she quickly uploaded it. Clicking the X she exited the internet.

"Five minutes," the voice said serenely.

Reid slipped her aPod back into her new Coach clutch and quickly applied a new layer of gloss, as if the shiny lacquer would protect her from the newness of Alpha Academy. She nervously twisted a dirty blonde strand of her around her finger as the plane dipped and began its descent towards Alpha Island. The planed dipped towards the ground and broke through the clouds, giving Reid a fantastic view of a glittering blue sea, sparkling with the sunlight. A few seagulls flocked and glided through the sky.

"Landing in thirty seconds."

The plane slowed down and glided to a stop on a panel on a copper-colored Twizzler shaped tower. Reid unbuckled herself from the seat and stepped off the plane onto a landing with a pair of gold elevator doors. She pressed an A-shaped button on the wall next to the doors. The door slid opened with a ding and Reid stepped in as the elevator descended towards the ground. Reid glanced around the elevator as it descended. It was a plain gold color, with gold plush lining the walls and a honey-golden wooden floor. A gold bar weaved around the wall, providing a hand hold for anyone who wanted one. The golden elevator doors slid open with another ding as it landed on the first level. Reid Dame had officially arrived at Alpha Academy.

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Alice White's heels clicked on the pavement as she stepped out of the elevator and onto a gold carpet that seemed to lead right to a train station a few yards away from where she stood. She frowned at the quietness of the entire place. It was _way_ to quiet. She had always though schools were filled with students mingling and chatting about. Here, it was strangely empty and deserted. Her midnight black hair blew softly across her face with the sea breeze. She tucked a black lock behind her ear where a pair of gold chandelier earrings dangled. She had worn her favorite army green pleated skirt and a cream-colored blouse with brown sandals. She sighed in slight relief as a few girls stepped out of the tall Twizzler-shaped tower and walked, or strutted, towards the train station. Alice tried to make eye-contact with them but failed. A whistling noise came from the train tracks as a long train with round bubble-shaped cars sped into the station and stopped.

"All Alpha Academy students please find your own car with your name on it. All cars are in alphabetical order by last names," a cool voice with a British accent blared over the loudspeaker. Alice swallowed with slight nervousness as she headed towards the end of the train. W for White. She paused in front of a shiny gold bubble-shaped care with Alice White written on it in flowy script. As soon as she approached the car, her name melted away and was replaced with a new message.

_Welcome aboard Alpha Academy's Bubble Train. Please take a seat in the chair. _

The silver flowy script melted away and the translucent gold doors slid open, allowing Alice to step aboard. Alice stepped into the little bubble car and took a seat in a rounded gold chair. The door slid closed with a soft hiss like the hissing of a steaming kettle and the train began to move.

"Welcome aboard the Alpha Bubble Train, Alice," a cool voice said serenely. "We will soon be arriving at the residences where each alpha will report straight to their Alpha House. Each Alpha House houses five alphas with a muse. Your Alpha House assignment is Taylor Swift. A house key will soon appear on the stand next to your chair."

The stand next to the Alice's chair had a panel under the surface and it slid open, revealing a small compartment with a gold rectangular shaped key in it. It reminded Alice of those cool hotel keys that hotels gave out, only this one was thicker and had the Taylor Swift scrawled across the right corner in black script. Alice wouldn't have been surprised if it was made out of solid gold.

"Currently, the train is approaching the Eos sculpture garden, which was built as a tribute to everlasting love with statues of Adam and Eve, Romeo and Juliet and others. It provides an inspirational and serene setting for all aspiring poets and writers," the smooth voice explained as the train glided past a garden filled with elegant stone sculptures.

Alice stared out the window, half-noticing the beauty of the island. She was more absorbed in thoughts about her new roommates and potential friends. Alice had been born into an acting career, with her mother as a dancer in London and her father as a movie director in Hollywood in California which was in America. An entire ocean away from Alice. Alice had been in movies since she was born, first taking a role of a baby, then a toddler then evolving into one of the most famous teen actresses of the year. She had never gone to a real school, instead being tutor by her private tutor her entire life. She had never made any real friends, only becoming brief "best friends" with her costars while filming and never had someone close in her entire life. Her sister, Corona was always away at a exclusive art school in Paris, training in ballet while her brother, Jose had been away at Oxford for most of Alice's childhood and was working as an accountant somewhere in North Carolina, California. Her eldest sister, Naomi had gotten married when Alice was ten and lived with her husband somewhere in Spain while Alice was stuck back home in plain old London. Her parents had gotten divorced when she was barely six and while Jose and Naomi where old enough to handle life on their own and Corona had her own life and friends in Paris, Alice was left alone with no one but her agent and tutor to take care of her. Her mother was always away on trips to Paris, where she worked at an opera house, teaching ballet and coordinating shows.

Now, with a ticket to Alpha Academy where there would be 99 other girls, Alice's first priority was to make a few friends who she could call her actual best friends. Maybe her roommates would live up to expectations. Her second priority was to succeed, something she did best.

The bubble train began to slow before coming to a complete stop at another train station.

"We have arrived at The Residences. Here is where you will live and sleep for the duration of your stay at Alpha Academy. Please proceed directly to your Alpha House. We hope you enjoyed your ride aboard the Alpha Bubble Train." The smooth voice announced as the doors slid open, allowed Alice to step off the train.

Alice stepped off the train and onto another train station that looked very similar to the one at the landing. She headed down a cobblestone path and into a courtyard with a marble fountain in the center of it. Water splashed playfully in the fountain and butterflies fluttered around. Lush trees lined the outside of The Residences and birds sang from the branches. The island emitted a lively and cheerful aura to welcome all the alphas of Alpha Academy. Alice turned towards a rounded dome-shaped building that shimmered white and a robin-egg blue, reminding Alice of a rounded shiny Tiffany box.

She climbed up the steps and inserted her gold room key into the slot. "Hello?" she called out as she stepped into the room. She pasted on a smile that screamed "confident and friendly" on her face as entered the room. It was round, like many other things at Alpha Academy with couches around a glass coffee table and a spiral staircase leading up to a second floor of the house.

A gorgeous girl with glossy dark hair extending down to her waist and wide dark eyes sat on the couch with her long slim legs crossed. The girl wore a cream-colored embellished tulle tank that looked like it came straight from the pages of Seventeen and a pair of True Religion denim shorts than showed off her long, tanned legs. A pair of patent leather sandals with pink straps adorned her feet and a pair of gold D&G sunglasses rested on her head like a headband. The girl looked like she came straight off the cover of a magazine or straight from a photoshoot. Her makeup was flawless and her nails were perfectly done in a basic French manicure that completed her looked of "carelessly-beautiful". Another girl with dirty blonde hair and warm brown eyes sat on the other couch. The blonde girl wore a simple grey shirt with a picture of a bow and a belted ruffled pink skirt. A pair of light blue pumps and tiny sparkly pink earrings that decorated her ears completed her outfit. Her dirty blonde hair was curled into perfect spiral ringlets which finished off her look of "cute-pretty".

"Hey," the stunning brunette uncrossed her legs and stood up from the couch gracefully. "I'm Vivian. Vivian Dresden." Gold hoop earrings glinted from behind her dark curtain of hair which she flipped over her shoulder.

"I'm Reid Dame," added the blonde.

"Alice White," Alice introduced herself.

Vivian nodded and pulled up her ankle towards her butt, stretching out a few muscles.

"You're a dancer?" asked Alice as she eyed Vivian.

Vivian shook her head, her dark waves tumbled around her face before she tossed her bangs out of her eyes. "I'm a figure-skater," she explained, "What about you?"

"Me? Oh, I'm an actress," said Alice. "What about you, Reid?" Alice directed the question toward the blonde.

"I'm a painter, uh, artist," said Reid. She blushed slightly under Vivian's scrutinizing gaze.

"Art is art in itself, a divine aura," a soft voice said. A woman with soft features and caramel colored hair entered the room. "I'm Ivory, your house muse."

Alice stared blankly at Ivory, trying to decipher the confusing sentence about art while Vivian smiled graciously at the muse and replied, "Hi, Ivory."

"Hello, Vivian Dresden," Ivory smiled mysteriously, "Fear is just excitement in need of an attitude adjustment.'

Vivian blinked in confusion. "What?"

But Ivory seemed not to hear her. She tilted her head towards the door. "Two more shall complete our circle of five." Ivory blinked and said, "Use your aPods, you can scan the girls' profiles."

Alice stared at Ivory in puzzlement. From the brief few minutes Alice had known her, Ivory already was a total mystery. Alice pointed her aPod at Ivory and scanned her.

_Ivory Diamente. She has been well-known to be able to sense coming events making her, in other words, psychic. She's known for her quotes and they have advice ingrained in them. Alphas would do well to follow her advice. Being a descendant from some coven of witches that have been burned at the stake in medieval times has given her a sketchy background and her great-grandmother was known for being a seer. She had never gone to college, instead choosing to become an artist, drawing scenes from images that she has "seen"._

Alice's eyes widened.

Vivian seemed to have done the same thing and read Ivory's profile. _So she's a fortune-teller? _Vivian mouthed the question from behind Ivory to Alice.

Alice shrugged and gave her the typical "I don't know" shoulder shrug. Her attention was soon diverted by the sound of the door opening, letting two more girls into the house. This time, a freckled girl with long blonde hair that was perfectly straight and extended almost to her waist and navy blue eyes entered the room. She wore a pair of light wash skinny jeans with a hot pink shirt with tiny stars. A pair of boots and dangling pink flower earrings completed her entire outfit. She looked like a typical all-american girl to Alice and her outfit was just "typical-teen". She was pretty, though Alice. Anyways, none of the alphas here at Alpha Academy were just normal-looking. They were pretty. Another girl followed the blond into the house. This girl was pretty pale, thought Alice. She had shoulder-length chocolate brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and bright green eyes. A few freckles were sprinkled over her perfect ski-slope nose and wore a pair of straight legged jeans with a burgundy sweater and some black riding boots.

"Hey," Vivian stepped forward to greet the girls. "I'm Vivian Dresden, figure-skater," she tossed her dark waves over her shoulder and gave the two girls a smile.

"I'm Ali, Ali Ryan," the brunette with the ponytail answered. "I'm a jockey."

"What's that?" Alice asked with interest, "I'm Alice White, actress, by the way."

"A horse-rider, or racer," replied Ali, "Basically, I race horses."

"That's cool," Vivian's eyes sparkled with interest, "Win any big competitions lately?"

"Actually yeah," Ali admitted, "I won first in the Kentucky Nationals last month."

"Cool," said Reid. She seemed to have stepped out of her shyness and answered Ali. "I'm Reid Dame, artist. What about you?" Reid asked the blonde.

"I'm Summer Williams, singer-slash-songwriter," the blonde answered.

"You're _Summer Williams_?" Reid asked shocked. "I just heard your new single, Chosen, yesterday!"

Summer smiled, "Yeah, I wrote that when I got accepted into Alphas. It just seemed to fit you know? Like how special it made me feel and how good it felt to be _chosen_."

Reid nodded empathically, "I _love_ all your songs, like everyone just relate to them!"

Alice looked around at the girls. Summer and Reid were already chatting about Summer's latest songs and Reid's paintings while Vivian and Ali were talking animatedly about Ali's latest competitions. Vivian had competed big time with her figure-skating and they were trading stories about competitions, medals and trophies. Summer and Reid had immediately clicked with their love of art, musical or visual while Vivian and Ali were both two competitive individuals who had the single-minded determination to get to their goal.

"Girls," Ivory glided back into the room. Alice hadn't even noticed that she was gone for a while. "Tomorrow will be your very first day at Alpha Academy so I suggest you all get a goodnight's sleep. Alpha Academy does not tolerate tardiness."

Alice swallowed hard. Tomorrow was the very first day. The very first start of her year at Alpha Academy.

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**Ah well, there's all the girls! I know the introductions were a bit short….. I promise the chapters will start getting longer as the story progresses. Oh, and I know most of these submit-a-character stories are usually given up after a few chapters….but I PROMISE that this story will be finished. (: **

**One question: Do you want me to bring the Brazille boys in the story? Like let some of the alpha girls crush on them and become bf and gf? Or should they remain as simply eye-candy and flirtation devices?**

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***Note: The rest of my stories are slightly put on hold while I focus mainly on this one. They will have occasional updates for me to take a break from The One but most updates will be on The One. And for the updates….I'm planning on updating at least twice as week. Hopefully on Wednesdays and Saturdays. If I don't, well something must have come up, I'm on my school's dance team as well as being a member of ASB and my classes are killing me…so let's say I'm a busy girl. :P **

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry for the long A/N's they will get shorter…. And REVIEWS ARE AWESOME and make me want to hug you! So review, review, review! I'm hoping for at least five reviews before my next update... **

**I don't have a beta, so all mistakes are mines. **

**-The Lovely Psyche**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ah well this is a short chapter but it serves kind of like a transition into the first days of school...Enjoy! Oh and I made outfit (polyvore sets) for each girl, links are on the my profile. Read and Review! Three guesses to where this excerpt from a song came from...it's my new fave :) First review to guess it right get's a teaser paragraph! :D**

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**This night is sparkling, don't you let it go, **

**I'm wonderstruck blushing all the way home, **

**I'll spin forever wondering if you knew,**

**I was enchanted to meet you.**

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**CHAPTER THREE**

Ali Ryan leaned back in her bed and flipped through a book written by Shira Brazille as the other girls around her were in varying stages of getting into bed. Reid was leaning over the sink doing her nightly pore-cleansing ritual in a golden babydoll nightie while Summer was curled up on her bed wearing a pair of Alpha Academy sweats with the school logo plastered over the butt and a pearlescent white tank while writing a new song on a green notebook with her green pen. Vivian had already showered and changed in a silver camisole and silver boy shorts and lay back against her pillows while her Herbal Essence shampoo scented hair fanned out besides her face and flipped through the latest edition of Star. Alice was toweling her damp black hair dry before pulling it into a loose ponytail and plopping down on her bed.

The girls had claimed their beds and closets when they arrived into the bedroom and Ali had picked the bed between Vivian and Alice. She cast her glance around the room, resting on each alpha girl individually. She had already categorized each girl based on the first impressions but although first impressions weren't everything, they still told a lot about a person. She liked each and every one of the girls, they weren't the stuck-up bitchy girls that she had first assumed they were. Reid was _nice_ even if she did seem a bit shy and awkward at times. Alice had been surprising cool for an actress, Ali had originally thought that most famous girls were always pure bitches and stuck-up just for being super famous. Summer was friendly too, being a songwriter and all. Ali had heard a few of the songs and they were pretty decent. And as for Vivian, she was the girl that Ali had liked best so far. She seemed _fun_, even though she fit the stereotype of a pretty, popular, mean girl down to a T.

"Did you all get your schedules yet?" asked Ali as she placed her book to the side and sat up from the bed and picked up her aPod.

"Hmmm?" Vivian looked up from her magazine. "My schedule?"

"I got it," replied Summer, she held up her golden aPod. "It popped up on my screen a few minutes ago, along with a map telling me where everything is."

"Yeah, me too," chimed in Reid. "I've got Painting the World at the Dawn Art Center for my first class tomorrow, it's painting. What about you guys?"

Ali looked over at her schedule again. "I've got Race the Track at the Achilles Track for mine. Thank god they let me ship my horse, Eli over here."

"I have In the Spotlight: For Actresses at the Eris Studio," informed Alice.

"I've got Hone It: For Writers at the Fuselage," said Summer.

"And I've got Breaking the Ice: For Figure-skaters at the Amphitrite Rink," finished Vivian who scrolled through her aPod reading the rest of her schedule.

"So we're all doing something related to our Alpha Track," summed up Reid. Ali would be racing Eli in the morning, Vivian would be spinning around on the ice, Summer would be writing, Alice would be in her acting class and she would be painting. She left the bathroom mirror and sat down crossed-legged on her bed. The girls each sat on their beds in the night clothes as they discussed their classes in the rosy glow of the bed-lamps. Their reflective clothes gleamed in the light and stars sparkled overhead in their domed ceiling. Ali could see the Big Dipper, Orion and other constellations sparkling up in the night sky.

"Girls, I believe it is time to go to bed," Ivory's serene voice floated in through the doorway. The girls' heads snapped up at the muse who smiled benevolently at the girls.

"Sure thing, Ivory," Vivian nodded and shimmied in under the covers.

"Kay," the rest of the girls chorused as the slid in bed.

"Good-night girls," Ivory flipped the light switched and glided out of the bedroom.

"Well, goodnight everyone," yawned Vivian as her eyelids slid shut under a violet sleeping mask with the word Princess written over it in gold script.

"Night," mumbled Alice who turned over and curled up into the blankets.

Summer and Reid both said their goodnights and soon, the bedroom was silent, except for the soft regular breathing of each girl. Ali stayed awake, her eyes gazing up at the stars. She couldn't sleep. Her entire body was wound up with tension, the way it usually was the night before a big race. Not being able to get a good night's sleep and freaking out before any big event was something that happened regularly to Ali. Sighing, she swallowed hard and turned over, watching the glowing digits of the clock change and waiting for sleep to finally find her.

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X-X-X

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Vivian Dresden analyzed her reflection intently in the rosy glow of the bathroom light. The rectangular mirrors glowed with round light-bulbs framing the border of the mirror and golden taps gleamed on the marble sinks. She ran a silver hairbrush through her dark waves until they shone and plugged in her fat gold curler before curling each dark lock of her hair into loose curls and curling her bangs over her eye to achieve the perfect Taylor Swift-esque bangs. She had already changed into the standard Alpha Academy uniform, with a pewter silver skirt, champagne colored silk blouse, glittering blazer and sparkling tie. A pair of clear strap gladiator sandals completed the uniform.

She had gotten up super early, before any of the other girls. Vivian had always been an early riser, getting up early for a warm-up at the rink and running on the treadmills at the Colorado Springs Skating Center. She stood in front of the three-way mirror and twirled, scrutinizing her reflection from every angle. Perfect hair? Check. Uniform? Check. Makeup? No check.

She opened a small cupboard next to her mirror which had already been stocked with her favorite cosmetics. She unscrewed her tube of Covergirl Natureluxe Silk Foundation and applied a thin layer over her face making her coloration even and her skin flawless. She uncapped her eyeliner and began applying a thin ring of kohl around her eyes with the skill and precision of a makeup artist before adding some mascara to her eyelashes, the effect making her lashes longer and eyes seem wider than they originally were. She dabbed on a bit of bronze eyeshadow, heightening the effect before swiping a final layer of MAC Boy Bait Cremesheen Lipglass. She rubbed her full lips together and rechecked her reflection in the mirror. Eyeliner? Check. Mascara? Check. Lip gloss? Check. Eyeshadow? Check. She was ready for her first day at Alpha Academy. Finally, she slid a gold Juicy Couture charm bracelet on her wrist and fastened a pair of gold heart earrings on her ears.

"Hey Vivian," Ali Ryan entered the bathroom, rubbing her drowsy eyes. "Up already?"

"I'm an early bird," said Vivian simply, she flipped her loose curls over her shoulder and flashed her Macbook white smile into the mirror. She seemed to be the type of girls who always had the ability to look like a supermodel in the early stages of the morning and looked fresh and beautiful no matter when or what.

Vivian turned her attention back towards the mirror as Reid wandered into the bathroom, already changed and her hair a tousled mess. She picked up her crystalline bottle of Miss Dior Cherie and spritzed some on. She inspected her nails and finished up her last touches of her makeup before slipping her aPod into her skirt pocket and heading down the stairs and into the living room where Ivory was waiting.

A few minutes later, all alpha girls were standing in the living room clad in their shining uniform. Reid's messy hair had been tamed and combed into shiny gentle waves that framed her heart-shaped face and her eyelids were painted with Urban Decay's Acid Rain and gold earrings dangled from her hair. Ali's dark hair had been pulled into a low side-ponytail and wore that barest hint of makeup. Plain gold studs hung on her ears and her eyes sparkled in anticipation. Summer's pale blonde tresses had been straightened into a perfect blowout and her bangs hung straight over her forehead, a pair of light pink flower-shaped earrings hung from her ears, the same pair she had worn yesterday, Vivian noticed. Summer always looked the epitome of the "sweet girl-next-door", while Ali portrayed the image of cool and sophisticated while Reid was simply "cute-chic". Alice's style was usually "neat, clean and fresh", a total opposite from Vivian herself, who liked to stick with flashy accessories and glamorous fashion styles.

"Come on girls," Ivory walked out of the Taylor Swift house with the girls following behind. "It's time to meet the rest of the alpha girls at breakfast."

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X-X-X

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Summer glanced around nervously as the girls walked into the Pavilion. A series of beeps sounded throughout the room and she looked around in panic.

"What's going on?" she whispered frantically to Reid who stood on her other side.

"They're checking our profiles," Reid whispered from the corner of her mouth. She straightened up and pasted a smile on her face with Summer managed to arrange her face into an expression of confidence and friendliness. Alice walked slightly ahead of them with her head held high while Ali and Vivian strutted in front. Vivian walked with the confidence and grace of a dancer, making her steps flow like a set of intricate steps while Ali walked right besides her fearlessly meeting the gaze of the stares from the neighboring alphas.

They soon arrived at a clover-shaped translucent green table where they sat down around the table. Ali sat between Vivian and Alice, while Summer sat on Alice's other side and Reid on Vivian's other side. Summer smiled appreciatively as a plate of bacon, eggs and toast was delivered to her table along with a glass of OJ that was sweating cool moisture.

"Lucky," moaned Ali with envy as she eyed Summer and Reid's breakfast while staring dismally at her oat, grain and bran combo of breakfast. While Ali, Alice and Vivian had to eat extremely nutritional food to keep their bodies in top condition, Summer and Reid were allowed to indulge in more….un-nutritional types of food.

"I would so kill for the bacon," agreed Vivian, who sipped her diluted fruit juice and wrinkled her nose at the protein-enriched granola power bar.

"Ohmygosh, you're Alice White! The girl in that one British movie, Top of the World!" a red-haired girl rushed up to their table and began gushing over Alice.

Summer pointed her aPod at the girl who had approached Alice.

_Mariella Devian. Alpha Track: Writer. She had written five short novels and had helped write the script for the Hollywood movie, Beautiful and Cruel. Being a daughter of Bridgett Patterson is the founder of Candy Cosmetics and Michael Devian, a film producer. _

"Thanks!" chirped Mariella as Alice signed a napkin for her and she rushed off back to the J.K Rowling table. Summer glanced again her schedule. Hone it: For Writers at the Fuselage. Mariella would probably be there, seeing how she was a writer but Summer wasn't so sure about anyone else.

The Pavilion suddenly quieted and Summer looked towards the front of the room to see a small stage ascending out of the floor with Shira Brazille herself. Her black maxidress flowed around her body and her auburn hair blew across her face in a wind-less Pavilion.

"G'day, lollies," Shira smiled, her red lips curving up. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Shira Brazille. Welcome to Alpha Academy girls!"

Applause scattered throughout the room while Summer gazed around the room, her gaze finally landing on a table up on a balcony. It was a green clover-shaped table like the others but something seemed to set it apart. Maybe it was the fact that there weren't paying any attention at Shira or maybe it was the fact that they were….

"Ehmagawd, guy spy!" whispered Alice excitedly. There were all males. All five of them, and from what Summer could tell, they were the infamous Billionaire Brazille Boys. Melbourne, Taz, Dingo, Darwin and Sydney. All five of them gorgeous and 100% HAWT.

Vivian and Ali's snapped up from Shira and focused on the table on the balcony. Reid's wide brown eyes looked from Alice to boys and back again. Summer's navy eyes were locked on a Brazille boy with brown hair that fell messily into his eyes, wicked smile and was talking intently to another brother. From her knowledge of the Brazilles, she deducted that his one was the infamous Taz Brazille, known for being a serial kisser and jumping from girl's lips to another while his twin, Dingo was a notorious prankster. His brown eyes slid over the room filled with alpha girls and seemed to lock onto hers. _Ehmagawd! Is he looking at me? _Summer wondered. Her cheeks flushed red and she lifted a hand to wave shyly back before she saw Vivian flip her glossy hair over her shoulder and wink flirtatiously straight at Taz who grinned back. Summer's cheeks blazed red in embarrassment and quickly snatched her hand back.

"Ohmuhgod, they're HOT," Alice leaned in and whispered to the rest of the Taylor Swifts. Vivian pulled her dark eyes from Taz and nodded in agreement.

"I have eye-contact," muttered Ali from the corner of her mouth while locking eyes with the gorgeous Mel. Summer immediately envied Ali, Vivian and Alice's confidence with the boys while Reid stole a quick glance at Darwin and quickly looked back at the table, her cheeks tinged a slight pink.

"Well, I've got _A-contact,"_ smirked Vivian who flashed her aPod at the rest of the girls. Summer caught a glimpse of gold text bubbles filling the screen while they all leaned in as Vivian typed a quick reply to Taz. Up on the balcony, all the boys were huddled over Taz's aPod.

"Ahem," Shira cleared her throat onstage, "Now, a word about my sons." Whispers broke out excitedly around the room while girls whipped her heads around and glanced up at the table of Brazille boys. The Taylor Swifts straightened up and pulled away from Vivian's aPod which she slid back into her pocket and the boys flashed grins at the girls.

"A simple rule, all alphas are not allowed to interact with my sons outside of anything academic. All relationships should be strictly professional and if any girl is caught interacting my sons, they will be immediately expelled from Alpha Academy," Shira announced.

Whispers broke out again in the Pavilion as Alice's fell in disappointment. Ali frowned and said, "How can she just stick us in an all-girls school with FIVE hotties and expect us NOT to flirt with them!"

Vivian rolled her eyes, "They're not worth it. Seriously. Yes, Taz is a hottie but a _guy_ is not worth getting my ass busted."

"So you're not going after Taz?" asked Ali.

"Nope, some other stupid girl can get their hearts broken and butts kicked while I'm going to keep my feet safely on the island," Vivian tossed her hair back and looked challenging around at the rest of the girls. "I don't need boys to survive. Do you?"

Ali, Alice and Reid muttered something while Shira took the mic again.

"Remember girls, here at Alpha Academy, only the best will survive, have a good day and please make your way to your first class." Shira finished off her welcoming address and her stage descended back down into the underground tunnels of Alpha Island.

"Well, see you guys later," Ali stood up from her seat and made her way through the Pavilion towards her first class. "I need to go take Eli for a quick warm-up run around the track," she waved as she walked away from Alice, Vivian, Summer and Reid.

"Come on, I'm going to the Amphirite Rink," Vivian announced, "Walk with me?" she asked Reid who was headed towards the Dawn Art Center. Vivian and Reid walked off, leaving Alice and Summer by themselves.

"I'm going towards the fuselage," said Summer, "See you at nutrition break!"

"Bye!" called out Alice who turned and headed towards her acting class.

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**Well, there it is girls. As for the Brazille boys, yes they will be in here. Just imagine that Skye, Allie and Charlie never ever happened so Darwin, Taz, Mel, Sydney and Dingo are all flying solo… guess who Darwin will end up with? As for the creators of the Taylor Swift chicks, is there a guy that they will be attracted to or have a preference for? Or can I just do whatever I want?**

**Oh! I made outfit sets for all the main characters! Yes, I know the images aren't exactly fitting with the description you gave me…..but I tried to make them match. Here is the links. Love them? Hate them? Want me to make more of them? Tell MEEEE! **

**I first posted them up here on the story...but I realized that they didn't show. So they're on my profile. GO CHECK IT OUT! I spent quite some time and effort on them... :D**

**Question: Guess which movie the girls I chose to portray Vivian, Reid and Ali are from? (This is an easy one…...)**

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**Four reviews. Come on guys! :) Four is great...but let's aim for six this time! **

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**Next update: Wednesday. Hopefully :) Or maybe earlier... you never know.**

**I don't have a beta so all the mistakes are mine.**

**-The Lovely Psyche**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next update like I promised (:**

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**Here we go, come with me,**

**There's a world out there that we should see,**

**Take my hand, close your eyes,**

**With you right here, I'm a rocketeer.**

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**CHAPTER FOUR**

The frosted glass doors of the Dawn Art Center slid open as Reid approached them, her silver skirt swishing by her legs. Her champagne-colored blouse gleamed in the sunlight while her tie and blazer sparkled and glimmer. Wearing the stylish, shiny dressy uniforms was certainly a change for Reid. While she had exchanged her entire wardrobe of graphic t-shirts and flared jeans for skirts, tanks and blouses, she'd hadn't entirely gotten used to the feel of wearing a skirt the entire time. She stepped through the entrance and into a spacious room with tall windows that let light shine through and a honey colored wooden floor. Easels with canvases stretched over them and small pots of paint were spread out through the room with rounded stools placed in front of each easel. A few girls had already claimed their easels and Reid stood hesitantly for a few seconds before taking the easel next to a stunning blonde with her sunny gold tresses twisted up in a messy bun and a paintbrush stuck through it.

"Hello," said Reid with a friendly smile at the blonde. The girl looked up and smiled at Reid.

"Hey, I'm Ashley Bell, artist," the girl, Ashley, introduced herself to Reid. Another artist, though Reid. Competition really was going to play a huge part in Alpha Academy wasn't it? Reid slid onto the easel while the painting muse in the center of the room cleared her throat and began to talk.

"Good morning artists, and welcome to your first day in my class and at Alpha Academy," the muse had long chocolate brown hair that was twisted up in French twist and strange dangly earrings dangled from her ears, "My name is Hazel and I'm your painting muse for the duration of your stay at Alpha Academy." She finished her introduction and looked around the class. "Now, would you all please – " she was cut off by the entrance of a student entering the studio.

Reid's heartbeat stuttered slightly as Darwin Brazille walked through the doors and took a seat in front of the easel next to her. She ducked her head slightly to hide her warming cheeks as she sucked in a breath and released it, trying to cool her cheeks. She had always had a mini-celebrity crush on Darwin, the cute, artsy Brazille boy when she had first read of the Brazille Boys in the tabloids. His ah-dorable looks and artistic personality had been an immediately YES for Reid, and now, he was sitting right next to her at Alpha Academy. A wild part of her had a sudden urge to jump up and scream. She still felt a twinge of guilt for breaking up with her boyfriend, Vince, knowing that she wouldn't be able to stand the thought of a long-distance relationship and her celebrity crush was _sitting right next to her in an art class! _

"Sorry Hazel," Darwin apologized, "My mom wanted to talk to us about something." Hazel nodded and turned her attention back to her class.

"Now, like I was saying before, I want all of you to paint something you thing represents hope. You have forty minutes, go!" she pressed a button on the stopwatch while the girls – and boy – stared at their blank canvases trying to think of something.

Reid ran through her mind images, scenes, people, plants trying to come up with something that would represent hope and not in a totally cliché way. Glancing surreptiously around, she saw Ashley sketching something over her canvas while Darwin regarded his canvas with a thoughtful look on his face while his fingers twirled a paintbrush in a pot of paint, absently mixing some blue and yellow paint. Suddenly, Reid's eyes brightened with inspiration. She snatched up a pencil and began sketching on her canvas before mixing black and white to create several different shades of grey and began to paint a detailed scene on her canvas.

"Time's up!" called Hazel, "Paintbrushes down, heads up. Now who wants to share first?"

Ashley raised a hand tentatively. "I'll go," she offered.

"Excellent, Ashley, now let's see what you have." Hazel smiled encouragingly.

Ashley tilted her easel away from her and towards the rest of the class. Reid looked at Ashely's painting and had to admit it looked incredible. It depicted a scene from the classic Greek myth of Pandora and the Box where evil omens flew out grinning wickedly except for one thing, Hope. She painted Hope in the center of the painting, wearing white robes, a gentle smile and a spotlight focused on the figure. Pandora stood in a gray dress with a look of fear and horror on her face.

"Beautiful, Ashley," Hazel nodded, looking at the painting thoughtfully, "The focus on Hope with the varying shades of white was inventive and the blurred shadows made an overall good effect."

"I really liked how you used the story of that Greek myth," added another girl.

The rest of the class nodded appreciatively and admired Ashley's painting. "Now! What do you have to show us, Reid?" Hazel looked expectantly at Reid who blushed slightly from the attention. Standing up from her stool, she tilted her painting towards the rest of the class. Silence fell for a second before Hazel nodded her head slowly.

"This is one of the most symbolic paintings I'd ever seen, Reid," said Hazel, "It's beautiful."

Reid had mixed over twenty different shades of grey to paint the entire painting, creating a scene of a burnt orchard, all the branches burned and broken while in the center, the focus was on a single giant tree with one solitary white flower blooming on a branch. She had also mixed different shades of white to paint the single flower, spending an entire twenty minutes on the flower alone, creating an effect that made the flower seem to glow in the grey drabness. With the flower as a glowing contrast against the grey shadows of trees, the painting seemed to come alive with the grey shadows emitting out of the painting and the white flower shining serenely in the midst of the shadows. It was one of Reid's best paintings, although she had done this one quickly in the time limit, the raw emotion from the painting just simply made it stand out.

"Whoa, that's _good_," said Ashley admiringly.

"No," said Darwin in disagreement, "It's _great_," he grinned at Reid who lit up with happiness.

Standing in the art studio besides her painting with her muse's approval and her peer's admiration, Reid glowed with happiness. Here was where she _belonged_, where other people appreciated her talent, where people agreed with her, where people knew what and who she was and what she did. She was free from the stereotypes of middle school and ready to shine at Alpha Academy, no matter how cheesy that sounded.

"What about you, Darwin?" Hazel asked. "Show us what you've painted."

Darwin stood up from his easel and Reid relished the opportunity to stare at him without looking like a complete idiot, after all, she _was _supposed to be paying attention to him while he showed his painting.

He turned his easel towards the class and reveal his painting. He had painted a stormy dark sky with clouds floating ominously ahead with a single ray of sun breaking through the clouds and casting a bright aura through the painting.

Hazel nodded slowly and thoughtfully, "So all of you seem to have chosen a dark background with a single thing that stands out in the center of it. That's one of the most common ways of portraying hope."

"Yeah, because hope means something bright and good in dark times," agreed Reid, boldly stating her opinion and fighting the urge to blush under everyone's gazes.

"Nice observation, Reid," Hazel nodded again. Reid glowed with pride.

"Now, we'll soon be working on watercolors and natural scenery so the next time I see you, I want all of you to have a certain place of Alpha Island in mind and we'll spend the next few weeks on that painting." Hazel instructed.

Reid's eyes lit up in excitement. Watercolors were her specialty. Painting scenery and nature with watercolors was something she had loved since she was little. The bubble of happiness in her grew again, she really did love Alpha Academy.

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X-X-X

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A few kilometers away from the Dawn Art Center, Alice White stood in the center of Eris Studio in a puffy Victorian-era styled dress that shimmered a light pink color in the faux scene of the Palace of Versailles. In the beginning of class, the drama muse, Rosaline, had given a brief introduction greeting to the girls and had immediately led them to a gigantic closet where they were immediately instructed to put on a gown, image that they were Parisian ladies in the Palace of Versailles during the era of the French Revolution and stay in character for the duration of the class. Rosaline herself would be shouting out new developments in the scene and the girls were to go along with whatever Rosaline said.

Alice had chosen a pale pink dress with a ridiculously tiny waist and gigantic skirt. A slim corset practically suffocated her and she balanced carefully on a pair of the sky-high heels and extensions had been added to her shoulder-length hair which had been braided, twisted and coiffed up into an intricate twist with a hat decorated with ribbons balanced on top of it. All girls had been randomly chosen to play a role and Alice had scored the role of a French princess who was visiting her uncle who was the king. Her name would be Aurore Moreau, or Princess Aurore, as every else was to address her.

"Good afternoon Your Highness, how are you today?" a girl in a ice-blue gown and her blond hair piled up glided up to Alice and curtseyed to her.

"Perfectly fine, Mademoiselle Cristelle," she nodded to the girl, Sabrina Benson – who was currently known Cristelle Chevalier, a daughter of a French lord who was residing at court.

"Have you heard that the Lady Jacqueline has gotten married?" questioned Alice.

"Oh really! Isn't she dreadfully too old?" Sabrina replied in flawless French while her glossy mouth fell open in faux shock.

The girls flitted about, chatting aimlessly in accents as if they really were French nobility with their silk fans, ribboned hats and satin gowns. A hologram of the garden in the Versailles beamed around the studio turning the entire room into a full 3D scene. Rosaline, the muse, stood in the midst of it all, observing the girls, criticizing their facial expressions and correcting them on how to properly use the silk fans.

"Lovely posture, Sabrina," complimented Rosaline, whose gaze slid right past Alice.

Sabrina flashed a smirk at Alice and glided off to prattle on to Delphi Rivera who was currently known as Queen Genevieve or "Your Majesty."

"Quick girls! The king has just been assassinated by the Austrians!" Rosaline commanded.

Alice pulled a horrified and tearful expression on her face as she shook with sobs. Visualizing the time she precious dog had been run over by a car in front of her eyes, she summoned up the horror and devastation as her slim body shook with sobs. Here it was no different. After all, her beloved "uncle" had just been killed. She rushed through the garden and collapsed into an embrace with Marin Perez, who had gotten the role of Princess Émilie, the daughter of the king who had been "assassinated" and Alice's favorite "cousin."

"H-h-how could t-they?" wailed Marin "Princess Émilie" heartbreakingly as she clung on to Alice while they cried together. On the other side of the garden, Delphi "Queen Genevieve" had fainted away and her "ladies-in-waiting", Tammy and Penelope were kneeling and attempting to revive her. Around them, lords and ladies were whispering about the assassination with varying degrees of horror and shock. Alice gathered up her skirts and rushed towards Delphi who had managed to sit up, her hair messed up and her dress stained.

"Oh, Aurore," exclaimed Delphi as Alice approached, "You heard?"

"Mamá!" cried Marin who threw herself into Delphi's arms as "Queen" and "Princess" sobbed together.

"Cut!" shouted Rosaline. "Delphi, you're too dramatic, we want something _real_ something we can sympathize with. Marin, you're talking like a girl from California in a cheap theater production. We are in France! You are a lady with class, with dignity! Alice, what have you been doing the entire day? Your emotion is as far off as Timbukto! We want the Princess Aurore, who's a rich, spoiled, vain girl with an uncle who had just died. She _didn't care_ about her damn uncle, she wanted her father to get the throne. You should be secretly delighted! It should _show! _Instead, you're acting like Princess Émilie which is the part that _Marin _is supposed to be!"

Alice flushed with embarrassment as Rosaline shouted at the rest of the girls and silently spared Sabrina from her fury with a slight nod. Alice's marine blue eyes glimmered in anger and envy. Sabrina wasn't even half as good as her! She glared at the blonde who smiled smugly.

"Retake!" commanded Rosaline, "This time, Princess Aurore and Mademosielle Cristelle are conspiring to take down Princess Émilie and take the throne of France. I want a devious, manipulative plotter there, Alice!"

Alice nodded. She gathered up her skirts and glided away from Marin with disdain on her face while Marin assumed the position of a confused and wounded cousin. She swept over to Sabrina "Mademosielle Cristelle" and looked contemptuously and ordered, "Mademosielle Cristelle, yes? Come with me."

Sabrina curtseyed, "Of course, Your Highness and followed Alice obediently with a hint of anger on her face. Alice knew Sabrina hated that Alice had taken the part of a princess while she was stuck as a lowly daughter of a lord.

"What news have there been from Paris?" Alice asked in a stage-whispered to Sabrina.

"Rumors of the Queen's infidelity to the deceased King have been circling around court and rumors have even reached the fact that her lover had ordered the assassination on the king," answered Sabrina conspiratorially.

Alice's eyes gleamed. "Fuel the rumors, I want everyone to be suspicious of the Queen and excommunicate Émilie and the Queen in order for my father to take the throne." Alice's character, the devious Princess Aurore was cousins with the Princess Émilie who would inherit the throne while Aurore would always be destined to be a princess. With the king assassinated, Aurore was in the perfect place to throw suspicion on the queen and Émilie for them to be kicked out of France and for her to take Émilie's place as the new heir of the throne of France.

Alice had originally thought that Marin was better suited for the role of Aurore while Alice seemed more like a typical Émilie but Rosaline overruled that, saying that each actress must be well-rounded no matter what.

"Also, I wish to be introduced to the Prince Antoine at the Fall Banquet tonight," commanded Alice with a wicked smile playing on her ruby-red lips. She ran through the night she and her old best friend, Viola Bruno, had planned to get revenge on the "mean girl", Andrea Wilson for humiliating Alice a few days earlier. She pulled out the same malicious, devious and wicked smile on her face as her eyes gleamed maliciously. Actresses all need different sides to them and the ability to summon up those hidden personalities when need. A awkward, nerdy side. A mean, bitchy side. A devious, wicked side. A sweet, innocent side. A provocative, slutty side. All of the made up the best actresses in the world.

"And cut!" called out Rosaline. "Much better, Marin. Work on _reality_, Delphi. Excellent job, Sabrina." Rosaline's eyes slid right past Alice who merely stood there. Alice swallowed back the sadness, anger and fury that threatened to overwhelm her and headed towards the changing rooms to take off her ridiculous gown. Back in London, Alice had been the best no matter what. Now, she was simply shoved off to the side. Worst thing was, she had no friends in this class. It was filled with girls competing with each other. Alice had disliked Sabrina the second she walked in. Delphi wasn't much of "friend-material" and Marin had simply brushed Alice off and seemed like the stereotypical "cool and popular" girl as she chatted with a few other girls. Sabrina and Marin were both part of the Beyonce house while Alice knew that Delphi was with the Michelle Obamas.

"Girls! Once you have changed out of the French gowns, please put on the plain cotton dresses. You will all be factory workers during the Industrial Revolution, girls." Rosaline commanded.

Alice suppressed a groan as she slid the cheap, patched cotton dress on with a pair of scuffed brown shoes and headed out to survive another round of Rosaline's shouts and Sabrina's smugness.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

The wind whipped Ali's ponytail around her face as she raced Eli around the track. Leaning forward she whispered, "Come on!" encouragingly to Eli. Her boots dug into the stirrups of saddle as Eli's hooves pounded through the Achilles Track. Eli had been Ali's horse and racing partner since she was 12, her father had owned a ranch in Kentucky at bred racing horses there and Ali had always grown up around horses. Her eyes were focused intently on the white strip at the end of the track, urging Eli forward.

A whistle sounded as Ali and Eli shot past the line. "Decent time," Vanessa said crisply while snapping her watch shut. Danielle the jockey muse, training girls to ride horses competitively and pushing them to faster speeds. Ali had the perfect build for a jockey, her slim frame looked perfectly at home on the back of a huge quarter horse. Female jockeys were extremely rare and suffered much doubt and criticism, something that Ali was dying to prove wrong. Ali had been kicking guys' butts while riding ever since she entered her first competition and her top wish was to become the best female jockey in history as well as beat every other jockey in the National American Championships when she was old enough to compete. Female jockeys were rare, a reason why there were only three girls in Ali's riding class.

Ali swung off of Eli and took a sip of water from her bottle of Evian that she set on the edge of the track. Andie and Rachel crossed the line at the same time a few seconds after Ali had finished. So far, none of the other alpha female jockeys had been able to top her time. A slight breeze ruffled her ponytail and Eli's mane. Her copper jodhpurs hugged her legs like an extra layer of skin and her silver tank top shimmered in the morning light.

"You're a really good rider," commented Andie, a girl with her chestnut hair twisted up into a messy bun. She led her horse, Showdown, over to the water trough. Her pure white Arabian horse was extremely rare, a sure sign that Andie was a serious competitive rider and that her parents had money – lots of it.

"Thanks!" answered Ali in slight shock while Andie gave her a smile.

"Good job, girls." Said Vanessa approvingly. Vanessa Campbell was the jockey muse, a woman who gave off the stern "no-nonsense" vibe, compelling Ali to stick to her best behavior and win Danielle's approval. Ali had learned from her aPod that Vanessa had ridden competitively in Australia, becoming the best rider in the country out of all the females _and _males. That was one of the reasons why Ali looked up to her. She had the skill, fearlessness and determination of an alpha jockey, something that Ali desperately wanted to be.

"Now, I want both you girls to beat that time by at least ten seconds," ordered Vanessa.

"Ten seconds?" Ali gasped in disbelief.

"That's impossible," agreed Rachel, who had pulled her blond curls back into to Heidi-chic braids. Ten seconds was a _long _time no matter how short it might sound. That would require pushing Ali and Eli's energy to the limit and Vanessa wanted it done _now_ – a feat that might have taken Ali a few weeks to achieve.

"There is no "can't" or "impossible" in an Alpha," chastised Vanessa, "Now, on your horses and start on my whistle."

Ali and Andie exchanged a quick look before climbing onto their horses. Ali place her hands on the reins and swung herself up gracefully. She mastered the ability to mount a horse quickly and gracefully when she was twelve, no matter how big the horse might be.

Danielle's shrill whistle pierced the air as the three horses surged forward. Eli with Ali. Showdown with Andie and Princess with Rachel. Ali, Rachel and Andie started off next to each other, pacing themselves until the nose of Andie's snow-white horse, Showdown, began to inch forward.

"Easy, easy," Ali leaned into Eli and whispered encouragingly into his ear. She nudged him faster, increasing their speed gradually, pulling an inch ahead of Andie and a feat ahead of Rachel. She chanced a quick glance over at Andie while Eli and Showdown were practically nose-to-nose. Andie's eyes were narrowed in fierce concentration as she speeded ahead putting on the final burst at the end. Ali waited a few seconds, gradually increasing Eli's speed before shooting forward and breezed past Andie a full two seconds.

"You shaved off four seconds," stated Vanessa as Ali leaned forward and panted with exertion. "Impressive."

"Andie, you started Showdown too early, wait a few seconds," said Vanessa, "Otherwise, you'd burn Showdown out before reaching the line."

"Rachel, work on your stamina," advised Vanessa, "I'll arrange for a few extra sessions in the Atlanta Gym." She tapped in a few commands into aPod.

"Run a few laps around the track, girls," instructed Vanessa. The girls nodded and swung up on their horses and started off on a steady gallop around the lap. The breeze tousled Ali's ponytail playfully as they raced around the track.

Ever since she was little, Ali had loved riding. She was the girl who was unafraid to approach a huge horse and clambered on fearlessly while other girls hung back. She grew up on the ranch in Kentucky while her home was a paradise for horses. Clean-cut green fields, well-maintained racing tracks and filled with purebred horses. Although Ali had been riding since she was little, she was constantly overshadowed by her older brother, Christian, who also rode competitively. Ali had fallen from a horse a few years ago, making her overprotective father forbid her from riding ever again. Ali knew Christian had been secretly delighted by this, after all Christian would never achieve stardom and his fame unless his more talented little sister was out of the picture. Even though Ali was a full four years younger than Christian, she could still manage to beat his best time. While her father forbid her from racing and her mother wished she would become more girlish and express an interest in makeup and dresses, Ali snuck out countless times to practice with Eli. During the biggest race in Kentucky, Ali had secretly entered herself a beat the entire State and winning first before moving on to the Nationals and winning first place there, too. Her father had been furious with her, yelling at her for days until Ali escaped to Alpha Academy. Her father never believed that Ali had the ambition and potential to be a serious jockey, thinking that her obsessions with horses was just a phase and she wouldn't survive the harsh competition of the life of a female jockey. Well, she was going to prove him wrong.

She was born to be a jockey, no matter what every else said. She loved riding, she loved brushing Eli, she loved the feel of the wind through her hair was she raced and she loved homeliness of the stable and the whinnies of the horses. Being a jockey was something that Ali knew she was going to do, and nothing was going to stop her. Not an overprotective father, a disappointed mother, an envious brother or anything else in the world. Ali was going to become the best female jockey in the world and that was all there is to it. Alpha Academy was just a bridge spanning the distance between training and stardom while providing her with a few ambitious friends along the way and some hot Brazille boys to flirt with.

While she agreed with her bunkmate, Vivian, that the Brazille boys weren't worth getting kicked out of Alpha Academy, they had both agreed that a few harmless winks here and there wouldn't hurt. And besides, they were – as Vivian eloquently put it – "eye-candy". Ali smiled. Coming to Alpha Academy was one of the best things that ever happened to her, and she was going to achieve her goal as a jockey here. She urged Eli forward and continued to speed around the track with that thought in mind.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

Vivian Dresden's whirled around on the ice, her new bronze skating dress hugging her figure tightly like an extra skin and showing off all her curves as she spun into a textbook-perfect layback spin. Music played through the rink as skaters spun, twirled, glided and jumped through different routines. Each girl had been given five minutes to choose a song and freestyle skate to it in front of the skating muse, Tori. Tori Carsen had been a singles skater and had won the gold in the Winter Olympics for five consecutive years before quitting the team and coming to Alpha Academy to train a new generation of skating stars. Vivian immediately admired her from her skating talent and business-like attitude. The five minutes were almost up and Vivian ran through a few combos before Tori cut the music abruptly.

"Vivian! Center ice," ordered Tori. Vivian nodded to the muse as she stuck a skate forward and glided smoothly into the center of the rink as the rest of the girls watched.

"What song?" asked Tori.

"Enchanted by Taylor Swift," answered Vivian with a slight smile. The song was a tribute to her Alpha House, Taylor Swift, and she had especially liked this song since it was released.

The first strains of the song floated through the rink as Taylor's clear voice filled the rink.

_There I was again tonight,_

_Forcing laughter, faking smiles,_

_Same old tired, lonely place,_

Vivian remembered the night of Lily Duncan's end-of-the-year party with her friends. She had gone to the formal party in her sparkling silver mini dress along with her besties and had expected an ordinary party as she greeted the elite of Colorado Springs and chatted with other girls. It was like that for all the parties that she went to. She didn't know much girls, seeing how she never went to school with them and the night was mainly composed to meeting new girls and being known as "that skater girl". She struck a pose to begin before stepping into a set of intricate steps and glided around the rink and skated a spread-eagle spin slowly, going with the slow tempo of the beginning. The bronze skating dress glinted in the lighting from the rink as sparkled as Vivian skated gracefully around the rink.

_This night is sparkling,_

_Don't you let it go,_

_I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home,_

_I'll spin forever, wondering if you knew,_

_I was enchanted to meet you. _

Memories of meeting sophomore, Luke Duncan – Lily's bother – ran through her mind. He had been something different than anyone else she had met. Being homeschooled and spending her entire life at the rink had given her zero opportunity for any potential relationships with boys and she had spent most of her life crush-less. After all, wasn't focusing on skating the most important thing in her life? She had been shy and blushing when she met him, developing her very first crush at that party. She channeled those emotions through herself as she increased the speed of her skating and leaped up into a triple axel that she perfected a few weeks before leaving Colorado for Alpha Academy. Imagining his smile, his wink and his laugh, Vivian put her entire self into the routine. She spun on her skates, remember how he spun her as they danced and her glossy lips curved up into a secretive smile. She leaped into the air with her legs in a textbook-perfect split midair and skated on.

_This is me praying that this was the very first page,_

_Not where the story line ends,_

_My thoughts will echo your name until I see you again,_

_These are the words I held back as I was leaving too soon,_

_I was enchanted to meet you._

She launched into the main part of her routine and skated with her entire body, jumping into her highest jumps, whirling into her tightest spins and pulling up her arabesque into a perfectly straight 180 degree line. She had danced with Luke that night, spinning around with him, laughing and loosening up for one of the rarest times in her life. She remembered how she felt when the party was over, when she said bye. When she returned to her life of skates and ice and when she left Colorado completely for Alpha Academy. She had fallen in love with Luke for a brief night and it was over no matter how much she wished for it to continue. She skated a final triple toe loop and ended in her ending pose.

A beat of silence fell across the rink as Vivian waited for Tori's opinion.

"Thoughts, girls?"

"She had really good form," offered Suzanne, a blonde girl with her hair pulled up in a tight ponytail and wearing a white pearlescent skating dress, who stood besides Tori.

"Her jumps were good, too," added Dannie, a petite brunette in a silver skating dress and her chocolate brown hair straightened into a glossy blowout that extended an inch past her shoulders.

Tori nodded in agreement, "Yes, her form was fine but it was her _style_ and _spirit_ that I wanted you notice. All of you have come from the top skating schools and academys in the entire world but what Vivian has is her ability to _connect_ with the song, to _skate_ it – not with it. You need to _skate_ the song, not _with_ that song. _Feel_ the music, _be _the music and _skate _it."

Her icy blue eyes rested on each girl in particular while a small smile crept up on Vivian's lips.

"Now think over your song girls, part of skating requires that you _know_ the music, it's not just there for decoration. Pick a memory, an event, a moment, a _feeling_ and skate it! Come on, Dannie – you're next."

Vivian skated off the center ice while Dannie skated forward and struck her pose. The first beats of Dannie's music filled the rink as the girls watched and evaluated.

_Always been that kind of girl,_

_That hid my face,_

_So afraid to tell the world,_

_What I've got to say._

Vivian watched as Dannie skated while Demi's voice sang out clearly. Her mind wandered around and remembered her first skating performance. She had done her very first solo with the exact same song a few years back when she was still seven. Being out there on the ice alone had almost made Vivian paralyzed with fear but she skated it and hearing the same song again brought back an onslaught on memories. She had come so far, from the time when she was the size of an Oompa Loompa in her hot pink skating dress to now where she stood in a rink at Alpha Academy in her bronze skating dress. Thinking back to Colorado Springs Skating Center brought a strange wave of homesickness to Vivian. Remembering Andie, Meggie and Jamie made Vivian swallow back her homesickness. If she was still in Colorado, Meggie would be going through her excercises with the intensity and focus of a soldier while Andie would be throwing her golden blond waves back and flirting shamelessly with the newest skating instructor and Jamie would be ripping off her pointe shoes and complaining about how red they were. She missed them. She missed the skating girls who had been her only friends since she was four. She missed her mother who pushed to her succeed each and every day. She missed her glamorous sister, Karolyn, who would always comment on the hot hockey players and suggest that Vivian go out on dates with them.

Without her friends and sister besides her, Vivian felt strangely vulnerable in the world of Alpha Academy. She had never been afraid to approach guys, knowing that Andie was always right besides here, winking and smiling at them. She had never been intimated by other, older girls, knowing that no matter what, Meggie, Andie and Jamie would stick with her. Now, with everyone and everything Vivian knew hundreds of miles away, she would have to start over. Sure, she had played the part of the "pretty, cool, unfazed alpha skater" with her bunkmates but she doubted if she was actually going to become close friends with them. After all, they were all competing against each other and the phrase "every man for himself" had crossed Vivian's mind a few times.

But whatever happened, she would always come out on top. That was the way it was always was. Vivian Dresden never lost a competition and this was one competition she was determined to win. She flipped her dark glossy hair over her shoulder as Dannie finished skating and vowed to become the best skater and alpha Shira Brazille had ever seen.

_Hey Meggie,_

_It's me, Vivian. Yeah, I know I can't send this notes to you guys but I'm writing just to keep myself from going crazy here. It's totally weird here, there's all this high-tech stuff and holograms and these girls that invent spaceships to the moon or something. I think that some girl was trying to invent a teleportation pod or something. So I skated today, you wouldn't believe it but the rink was a hundred times cooler and prettier than the rink we skated at during SummerSkate. And I'm rooming with four other girls and guess what? My house just happens to be your favorite singer! Yep, it's Taylor Swift. So far the girls are okay I guess. There's this girl who's like an artist and one of them is Summer Williams, you know that teen pop star singer chick? And there's an actress who's pretty cool, I guess. Alice Something. I think her last name started with a W? Whitney? White? I think that last girl is the coolest so far, her name's Ali and she's a horse girl. She races them like a…..what's the word? Jockey. So right now, I'm just sitting on my bed writing away in that purple notebook you gave me. Remember it? Something about keeping track of my Physics notes. Well, the muse, Ivory is psychic (Yeah, she actually is) so I'm just turning my light off and going to sleep. Day two of life at Alpha Academy is ready to begin. I miss all of you guys like crazy and tell Andie that I'm still betting that she and David are definitely going to Winter Formal together and tell Jamie that she needs to do something about that weird part in her bangs!_

_Love and hugs from your one and only bestie,_

_Vivian_

* * *

**So innocent, you can tell by the clothes,**

**College girl with a 4.0,**

**Good girl by day, **

**Damn who would have known?

* * *

**

**Reviews are fabulous. Comments, suggestions and questions are all welcome. **

**Questions: 1) Name the two songs. The one at the beginning of the chapter and the end of the chapter. 2) What is the name of Reid's painting muse? First correct answers will get a short teaser….. (: **

**Next update: Saturday (Possibly, but if not it's going to be Friday)**

**-The Lovely Psyche**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the lateness! **

* * *

**All my life,**

**There was just me and my dreams,**

**And the days went ticking by,**

**Like the beat of my heart.**

**Spend my nights wondering how it would it feel,**

**When the waiting would end and tomorrow would start.**

**Suddenly I see a light,**

**Out of the darkness I'm coming alive.**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Summer Williams stepped through the glass doors of the Pavilion. She had just finished her first class at Alpha Academy in the Fuselage and had gone to the Pavilion for Nutrition Break. She scanned the Pavilion for any sign of her fellow Taylor Swifts before her eyes caught the gleaming dark waves of Vivian who seemed to be talking to a girl with long red hair. She walked towards Vivian who was looking down contemptuously at the red-haired girl through narrowed eyes. Uh oh, some one looks pissed, thought Summer as she eyed Vivian's expression warily.

"Just _who_ do you think you are?" asked Vivian in a steely voice as she glared at the red-haired girl.

"It was an accident!" protested the girl.

"So it was an accident that you knocked over an _entire_ smoothie all over me when you were fully capable of picking it up?" sneered Vivian. "I thought that being a _dancer _you'd be more coordinated that Bella Swan."

Summer frowned and aimed her aPod at the girl.

_Name: Rebecca Pomerleau. Alpha Track: Dancer. Rebecca has been trained at the Canadian School of Performing Arts as well as being one of the top dancers. She's known for her bubbly attitude and pop-star girly clothing style. She has won a many competitions and takes thirds, seconds and firsts all the time._

"Why are you being such a bitch?" fired back Rebecca, who seemed to be sick of Vivian's contempt.

"Um, one you dumped an entire smoothie on me. Two, you said it was my fault. Three, you're just a wannabe dancer who I can dancer better than. And four, you just called me a bitch to my face," Vivian glared straight at Rebecca with her dark eyes flashing wickedly.

"Um, hi Vivian," Summer jumped in to save Rebecca from more humiliation. She knew that Vivian could be entirely evil when she wanted to be. And Vivian was being extremely mean towards Rebecca….maybe Vivian had a bad day? She certainly was someone who was easy to lose her temper easily.

"Hey Summer," Vivian turned away from Rebecca to flash a smile at Summer before turning her attention back to Rebecca.

"Don't even _think_ for one second that you can dance better than me," challenged Rebecca, "I'm a dancer and you're just a skater."

"_Just_ a skater, huh?" Vivian's eyes flashed dangerously. "Let's see how good you do when you try skating, I'll be laughing so hard when you fall and break your leg."

"Let's see you dance then," Rebecca glared right back at Vivian. "I'll skate in front of the entire skating class if you dance in front of my entire dance class."

"Done," Vivian smirked triumphantly as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. Summer had a bad feeling about this.

"See you at the studio this afternoon," Rebecca walked off, her long red hair swinging down her back.

"See _you _at the rink tonight," Vivian answered confidently before walking off to change out of her uniform that had pink strawberry smoothie all over it.

Summer looked uncertainly from Vivian and Rebecca until Ali and Reid walked up.

"Hey," greeted Ali, "What's up? And where did Vivian go?"

"She went to change," explained Summer, "Rebecca, the dancer from the Michelle Obama house accidently spilled a smoothie on her." Summer picked up a glass of nutritional smoothie and drank from it eagerly. Next, she had Spotlight Training in the Delphi Observatory with Alice. It was a class that all alphas had to take, it trained them to know what to say to the press and magazines and to answer confidently and flawlessly. It taught them how to pose for the paparazzi and to answer interview questions.

"Hey, guys," a rather upset Alice walked up to Summer, Ali and Reid.

"Hi Alice," answered Reid, who slid into the seat and opened a can of yogurt. "What's up?"

"Nothing," shrugged Alice with a small frown over her lips. "Where's Vivian?"

"Right next to you," Vivian's voice came out of nowhere as she glided up and slid into a seat besides Alice and taking a sip of her mango smoothie.

"So I heard you got a smoothie dumped on you?" Ali asked with her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Oh yeah, some wannabe dancer dumped it on me for no reason," Vivian rolled her eyes, her momentary flash of rage already long gone.

"Some 'wannabe dancer'?" Ali raised an eyebrow at Vivian, who tilted her chin towards the Michelle Obama table where a Rebecca was talking to a Gwen, a girl from Summer's writing class.

"Mhm," replied Vivian absently, "She challenged me to dance better than her."

"Don't tell me you accepted," groaned Alice dramatically, "You _know_ that dancing is Rebecca's alpha track!"

"Who said _I_ can't dance?" a wicked smile crept up on Vivian's glossy lips. "I've been taking ballet and jazz since I started skating."

"So you did it to….humiliate her?" asked Summer with wide eyes. She still didn't know if she liked Vivian or not. Sometimes Vivian was cool, fun, glamorous and the type of "pretty and cool girl" that Summer always wanted to be. But at other times, Vivian seemed devious, reckless and manipulative. Summer didn't know if Vivian was a girl she wanted to be best friends with, but she did know one thing. She definitely didn't Vivian against her.

"Yep," Vivian shrugged nonchalantly.

"Ohmygawd!" whispered-shrieked Ali. She was staring at her aPod screen with wide marine blue eyes as Vivian's head snapped up and leaned over Ali's shoulder to look at her screen.

"Dingo's asking me to meet him and the rest of the BBs near the lake tonight!" squealed Ali in excitement. Summer's eyes flew up to the balcony where the Brazille boys were sitting. Dingo was talking to Mel while tapping away on his aPod while Mel reclined lazily in his seat. Darwin seemed to be doodling on a sketchpad while Sydney sat hunched over his notebook with his messy hair falling around and hiding his face. Her navy eyes finally landed on Taz whose gaze was sweeping the entire Pavilion. She immediately dropped her gaze when Taz's gaze rested on the Taylor Swifts.

_Don't even think about it, Summer. _Her inner voice spoke disapproving. _He's probably more interested in Alice or Vivian._

"Let's go!" agreed Alice enthusiastically.

"Should we?" wondered Summer, "What if Shira finds out?"

"She has cameras all around the island," reminded Reid, but her eyes told a different story. Her brown eyes were focused on Darwin's figure with a slight look of longing.

All the rest of the girls' eyes turned to Vivian who had yet to voice her opinion. Vivian thought about it. Summer could practically see Vivian's wheels turning in her mind. While Vivian might be the focused skater on the ice, Summer knew that Vivian was the type of girl who flirted with boys just for the sake of flirting and doubted that Vivian would turn down and opportunity to meet up to the Brazilles.

"No," said Vivian with a shake of her head. "We're not going to meet them, they're coming to meet us."

"What do you mean?" asked Summer.

"I'm throwing a skating party tonight at 9, tell the boys to come," Vivian said as Ali speed-texted Dingo. "It's a perfect way to have fun and humiliate Rebecca with a big audience."

"Skating party?" Alice's eyes lit up, "That sounds so fun!"

"The boys said their definitely coming," Ali looked at the other girls with a smile.

"Alright then, skating party at nine tonight girls," Vivian said. She pushed her chair back as the bell rang for the next class and stood up. "Come on, Ali, we've got Romance Languages next, _nous allons apprendre quelques obtenu francais._" Vivian linked her tan slender arm through Ali's and the girls walked off towards the Sculpture Garden.

"Well, I have The Art of Excellence next," said Reid hesitantly as she waved to Alice and Summer and began to walk off in the opposite direction of Ali and Vivian.

"Let's go to Spotlight Training, then!" Alice pulled Summer with her as the two girls walked towards the Delphi Observatory.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

The doors of the Delphi Observatory swung open as Alice and Summer entered the room. A red carpet stretch down the entire length of the room. Cameras stood on each side of it and a group of girls gathered around a tall statuesque woman near the right of the room. Frames of famous women through the times lined the gold walls of the room. Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Shira Brazille herself were just a few to name. A wall of golden Hollywood-esque stars decorated the west wall with each alpha girl's name inscribed on it. Summer picked out her own name, _Summer Katherine Williams_ and found Vivian's name right besides hers. _Vivian Genevieve Dresden_ was written on the golden star. Under each name was their date of birth and hometown. _January 8__th _and _New York City, NY_ was written under Summer's name in smaller script while Vivian's star read _May 26__th _and _Colorado Springs, CO. _She searched the wall until she found _Reid Chloe Dame_ on a gold star with _September 23th _and _Detriot, MI. _Near the top corner of the wall she found the star with _Ali Jacqueline Ryan_ and _November 30__th_and _Louisville, KY. _Right next to Ali's star she found the star inscribed with _Alice Celina White _and _April 30__th _and _London, UK._

"That's really cool," admired Alice besides Summer.

"Attention, girls!" the blonde statuesque woman commanded their attention. "My name is Brianna and I will be your muse for this class. The wall which you are all looking at contains a hundred golden stars with each of your names on them. If you are expelled or eliminated from Alpha Academy, your star will disappear along with you. The final gold star left on the wall will become a portrait of the alpha girl who has survived her year at Alpha Academy."

Summer swallowed nervously. _So they really were serious about all of us competing against each other. _She could immediately feel tension rise in the room as alpha females evaluated others, weighing their strengths and already considering each other their rivals and opponents. Just great. When she wanted to make new friends, she gets new rivals instead.

"Well, she certainly knows how to make us feel welcome," whispered Alice into Summer's ear.

"-and now, let's begin!" Brianna clapped her hands together and girls began moving.

"Wait, what did she say?" asked Alice who had been busy talking to Summer.

"Well, White, if you were _paying attention_ you'd know what Brianna told you to do," a sneering voice came from Summer's right as a girl with blonde curls and light blue eyes walked to them.

"Sabrina," stated Alice, flatly.

"What? Not thrilled to see me?" mocked Sabrina, "Is too much competition in one day too much for Miss British Princess there?"

"Shut up!" burst out Summer, sticking up for Alice. If Alice had to endure a class with this blonde girl, no wonder why Alice came to Nutrition Break looking quite down.

"And you are?" sneered Sabrina.

"Summer Williams," Summer answered bravely. "If I remember, you didn't give me your last name."

"Benson," Sabrina regarded Summer impassively before turning on her heel and strutting off towards the red carpet.

"Girls!" called out Brianna. "Stop your chattering and line up in front of the red carpet, we'll be practicing how to strut in five inch heels today. Pause every five seconds and smile. Flip your hair, angle your face and flaunt your style!"

Summer grimaced. It was times like these when she wished she had Alice's ability to fake and act or even Vivian's ability to be graceful and confident in five inch heels. Sure, she had been to banquets, formal dinners and awards for her songs but she still hated the flashes of cameras and the wild yells of the paparazzi and the need to always fake a flawless smile. Memories of the time she tripped and fell on her face during her seventh grade end-of-the-year awards ceremony flashed through her mind as she strapped on the death traps that people dared to call shoes. Balancing and wobbling a bit on the heels she clicked over to stand carefully next to Alice who looked perfectly comfortable in the heels.

"How the heck do you do that?" whisper-hissed Summer to Alice.

"Do what?" Alice turned in confusion towards Summer, her black hair gleaming in the spotlights that just glowed to light and focused on certain spots on the red carpet.

"Wear those heels without wanting to kill them!" whispered Summer.

"Oh, you'll get used to it," Alice reassured Summer.

"So newbie singer girl can't wear heel, huh?" the same sneering voice cut into Alice and Summer's conversation.

"Shut up and go away, Sabrina," snapped Alice without even turning her head or blinking an eyelash.

"You seriously can't wear heels?" asked another girl incredulously. Another girl had joined Sabrina, this girl had long red hair down her back. Rebecca. Summer remembered the girl who had spilled a smoothie over Vivian. Summer had seen the Rebecca talking to the girls at the Michelle Obama table. Along with Rebecca and Sabrina another girl, Gwen was also in the same house. Summer was disappointed that Sabrina and Rebecca were in this class instead of Gwen, after all, Gwen was a pretty nice girl during Summer's first writing class.

"And you are?" Alice mimicked Sabrina's nasal sneer as she turned on the Rebecca.

"Rebecca Pomerleau," Rebecca met Alice's eyes fearlessly.

A devious smile spread over Alice's lips. "So you're the wannabe dancer who dumped a smoothie on Vivian, huh?"

"It was an accident!" defended Rebecca.

"Well, either you were just a bitch to dump it on Vivie or you were just plain clumsy which – if I'm not mistaken – isn't not a trait that's really good for a dancer," Alice smiled evilly.

Summer's eyes flew back and forth from the girls. Alice _was_ having a bad day and she felt a twinge of sympathy who had endured Vivian's rage and now Alice's anger. She sighed, they were all so dramatic.

"Come on, Alice," Summer tugged Alice away, "You'll end up doing something you'll regret."

"Always the reasonable one," sighed Alice as she let herself be pulled away by Summer.

They walked away from Sabrina and Rebecca and lined up behind some girls in front of the red carpet. Brianna had instructed the girls to each strut down the red carpet and pose and smile for the cameras at least every thirty seconds. Summer had done these types of things before but still felt uncomfortable while fake-smiling the entire time. She had never been one of those girls who drank up attention like water but simply wrote and sang for her own fun, not for the spotlight. Besides her Alice stood ready with a million-watt smile plastered on her face and her back straightened confidently. Alice was like one of those girls who were born for the spotlight and looked perfectly at home with flashing cameras and paparazzi screams.

"Alice White!" Brianna called out. Alice's smile got bigger and started walking down the red carpet, making it look as natural as window-shopping in New York City. Her midnight-black hair gleamed as she strutted down the carpet and posed every few seconds for flashes with her smile intact the entire time.

"Relax and change up your smiles, Alice!" Brianna ordered, "Otherwise it'll start looking fake and frozen. Change your smiles when you pose."

"Next, Summer Williams!"

Summer shoved back her nervousness and tossed her straight blonde hair back as she began her walk down the red carpet. Her light blonde hair gleamed in the lights and she smiled widely as fake cameras flashed every few seconds.

"More attitude in that walk, Summer!" shouted Brianna. "You need to give off the right aura of confidence and fearlessness. Kick out that sweet girl personality and give off some rock star attitude!"

Summer swung her hips more as she strutted and tossed her hair back as she posed with a hand on her hip.

"Bettter, but _more_, strut your stuff like a supermodel girl!" Brianna kept up her yells until Summer finally reached the end of the carpet.

"Not bad," Sabrina commented, "But you did look ridiculous throwing your hair around." Rebecca giggled besides Sabrina and Alice glared at both of them.

"Sabrina, no one wants you around so _go away," _Alice was getting very annoyed.

Summer merely ignored Sabrina's snide comments, she had learned a long time ago to let insults roll off of her like water drops on a leaf. Living on the Upper East Side with rich, spoiled, privileged socialites like Annie Giordano, a stuck-up brunette dancer and her best friend Cecilia Marlow, a blonde girl who was known for being a slut had made Summer tougher and rarely ever cried or broke down from insults. The two girls, Annie and Cecilia had insulted, bullied, and humiliated Summer ever since Summer had gotten the role of Dorothy in a play for the _Wiz_ while Cecilia had also compete for the same spot. Cecilia's hatred for Summer had been standing since they both fought over the same boy in sixth grade. They had been best friends back then until Annie, a cooler, prettier, smarter and more glamorous girl came along and replaced Summer. Cecilia had been pissed at Summer for crushing on the same boy and when Cecilia and Annie became friends at some formal dinner party, Summer was officially out. So when Summer took the role of Dorothy because she could sing better than Cecilia, Cecilia had practically declared war on Summer with Annie. Annie and Cecilia were the two girls of the Upper East Side that no one dared to go against and Annie Giordano's word was law no matter what. And if Annie said Summer was out, then Summer was officially out. Many of Summer's songs had been written about those two girls that hated her and one of the focused on the breaking of Cecilia and Summer's friendship.

Remembering those times brought a frown to Summer's normally calm face.

"Girls, walking down a red carpet is one of the skills that is required to become an alpha. I want all of you girls to have your struts and poses perfected by Friday. Class dismissed." Brianna's voice rang out through the room as the girls began walking out the door and towards the Pavilion for lunch.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

"-for your dance showdown with Miss Wannabe Dancer,"

Summer slid her tray of a regular BLT onto the table as she slipped into her seat. Vivian and Ali were already talking about the best way to take down Rebecca and Alice had taken a seat next to Reid. She glanced over at the other girls' lunch. All the lunches were made for each girls' body and their alpha track. Vivian's lunch consisted of a salad and a bottle of water, less calories than a mini Hershey's chocolate bar. Ali's lunch contained a simple chicken wrap with a glass of juice. Reid wasn't as athletic as Ali or Vivian so her lunch was compounded of BBQ chicken and some bread and Alice was currently taking a bite of some Asian-styled noodles.

"Actually I did have an idea…." Vivian's voice trailed off as she stared down at her lunch while turning over possibilities in her head.

"Oooooh, what is it?" asked Alice interestedly. "And while you're busy kicking Rebecca's butt do you have any idea how I can kick Sabrina Benson down?"

"Sabrina Benson, huh?" Vivian looked up from her diluted fruit juice, "Is she that blonde chick that's next to Rebecca and pointing at us?"

Summer's head snapped up to see Sabrina and Rebecca talking together at the Michelle Obama table while Sabrina pointed them and kept on talking to Rebecca.

"Yeah, that's her. Bloody brat, too," said Alice with a grimace. When Alice seemed upset, her British accent become more pronounced.

"What's up with her?" wondered Ali, "She seems just like another stuck-up drama queen to me, no offense to Actress Alphas, Alice."

"That's just it, she's a stuck-up drama queen who thinks she's better than everyone else and that's just pissing me off," huffed Alice.

"Why don't you just ignore her?" asked Summer, "Making enemies so early is bad."

"Enemies, friends, frenemies, whatever," Vivian waved her hand. "You can't get through life without fighting a few bitches along the way."

"Agreed," nodded Ali, "So what do you have in mind for Blondie?"

"No idea, that's why I'm asking you," said Alice with a shrug, "Any ideas?"

"Um, kick her ass in class?" suggested Reid tentatively, trying to keep up with the plotting girls.

"Too tame," Ali shook her head. "You need to – "

"Hey Vivian!" a girl with straight brown shoulder-length hair rushed up to Vivian with an excited smile on her face.

"Is it – " Vivian looked at the girl expectantly.

"Yup, _everything_ is ready," the girl grinned, "Tammie's ready too."

"Thanks, Dannie," Vivian flashed the girl her million-watt smile. Dannie bounced eagerly on her heels, her ponytail bouncing with barely concealed excitement before rushing away to the J.K. Rowling table and whispering to an Asian girl.

"What was that?" asked Summer.

"Just some girls helping me with the skating party," Vivian shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey so about that Sabrina girl, I think that we can – " Vivian was abruptly cut off by the ringing of the bell, signaling the end of their lunch break.

Reid stood up from her chair and pushed it back in. "I've got Greener Pastures, now. Anyone else have that too?"

"No," Summer shook her head, "I've got The Art of Sound, now. What about you, Alice?"

"I've got Script Structures, I don't think any of us have a class together….." Alice said.

"Yeah, I have something different, I've got Sweat, now" added Ali, "Something about toning my body to become a better jockey."

"And I have a dancer's butt to kick, now," smirked Vivian who slid out of her seat and flipped her hair over her shoulder. She waved to the rest of the Taylor Swifts before waltzing out the Pavilion and towards the Dionysus Theater for her dance class. Summer really had no idea why Vivian was in a dance class but she assumed that dancing _was_ quite similar to skating….. well kind of. After all, skating was like dancing on ice with more jumping things and spinning stuff.

"Bye, Viv!" called out Ali who jumped out of her seat and threw a brief wave towards the rest of the girls before rushing off to the Buddha Building for her next class which happened to be Sweat, a personal training session designed to improve her physical body condition.

The rest of the girls said their byes to each other before each heading off to her next class. Reid left to her next class, Greener Pastures in the Biosphere. A class meant to teach each alpha girl to keep their carbon footprint small but still look and be fabulous. Summer left to the Apollo Hall for her class, The Art of Sound while Alice left to the Studio of Eos for Script Structures.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

"Half an hour, girls," said the dance muse, Jenny, briskly.

All the girls in the studio room immediately began moving, each marking through routines and imaging songs to go with them. Jenny, the dance muse, had instructed the girls to warm up in under fifteen minutes, and choreograph a quick routine to a song that they will perform in front of the class. Vivian had smiled at this. It was her perfect chance to show up that redheaded wanna-be dancer, Rebecca. After all, Rebecca didn't know that she would in her dance class when she challenged her to dance. That girl obviously didn't know how to pick a battle.

Vivian didn't usually dance much, she only put this class on her schedule to improve her general skating performance, anyways dancing would improve her skating a lot more than say… painting. Painting was hardly relating to skating while dancing would her let her go through different ways to express herself with her body.

Rolling her head experimentally, Vivian ran through a few songs in her head. Sure, she had skated to Taylor Swift this morning but now, she wanted something with more….attitude. Running through a few moves in her mind she finally settled on her song. Once she had the song, coming up with the moves and throwing them together was a piece of cake.

"Time's up, girls!" Jenny clapped her hands. "Now who wants to go first?"

"I'll go," Rebecca stepped forward fearlessly. She had already established herself as the top dancer in this class, Vivian noted. _Well, that was going to change, _thought Vivian. Anyways it was better to let Rebecca go first, to see what she had first before showing her up by going afterwards. Rebecca strut-walked to the front and center of the room before announcing the song to her dance.

"The song I'm dancing to is DJ Got Us Falling in Love by Usher," stated Rebecca. Her red hair was twisted up into a tight bun and pink soft ballet shoes decorated her feet. She wore classic leo in shimmery gold and a floaty silver dance skirt to go with it. To Vivian, she looked like a prissy, tightly wound ballerina chick. Jenny nodded at Rebecca, seeming to be impressed with her boldness and cued up the music as the first few lyrics of the song blasted through the room. Her chest seemed a lot flatter than the last time Vivian saw her. Did she lose weight so fast?

_So we back in the club,_

_With our bodies rocking from side to side (side to side),_

_Thank god the week is done,_

_I feel like a zombie gone back to life (back to life)._

Rebecca started dancing right as the music came out, swiveling her hips back and forth, a finger snap here, and basically rocking out to the music. Her lips sang along with the song while her bright smile was intact the entire time. Vivian rolled her eyes. To her, Rebecca looked like a girl bobbing along to the DJ at a normal school dance. Nothing like the professional and talented dancer she claimed to be. Vivian had done a tap routine to this song a long time ago when she was around 7 and had put more attitude and personality into this song then what Rebecca was doing now. Sure, Rebecca might be a decent dancer but to Vivian – who had grown up in a world of professionals like her sister – Rebecca's style spelled out CHEAP and WANNABE.

_Hands up, when the music drops,_

_We both put our hands up,_

_Swear I seen you before,_

_I think I remember those eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes._

Still swaying and bouncing to the music, Rebecca danced and threw her hands up in the air as the music kept on playing. In the studio, the girls stood and watching Rebecca silently, analyzing each of her movements. Vivian knew that they all were looking for flaws, imperfections in Rebecca's dancing. Each and every one of the girls knew that to be the alpha, they had to be the best, to be _better_ than everyone else. No emotion showed on the girls' faces while Rebecca danced. Jenny herself was watching Rebecca intently, her brown eyes following each move of Rebecca's arm and each shake of her hips.

_Cause baby tonight, the DJ got us falling in love again, _

_Yeah, baby tonight, DJ got us falling in love again,_

_So dance, dance, like it's the last night of your life, life,_

_Gonna get you right. _

Singing along with the music, Rebecca kept on dancing until cutting off abruptly and into her ending pose holding it until the music died down before turning back to the rest of the girls with a bright smile and a smug smile aimed right at Vivian. Vivian's eyes flashed at Rebecca's attitude, there was _no_ way that this girl was going to just take the spot as Top Dancer just like that.

"Good job, Rebecca," Jenny nodded approvingly while Vivian felt her mouth drop open. Jenny _approved_ of Rebecca's cheap school-dance style? "Who wants to go next?"

"I'll go," Vivian straightened up and stepped forward into the center while Rebecca moved off the center and stood with her hands folded over her chest and a glare on her face.

"The song _I'm_ dancing to is Up by Jesse McCartney," Vivian smiled slyly. She struck a pose with her weight on her left leg, her right slightly bent, her arm out and her head down.

_She movin' like this,_

_Like that,_

_Move up, move back,_

_Yeah drop it low._

Her head snapped up the second the music started and she launched straight into her routine. Popping her body, rocking back and forth she danced to the beat, feeling it and _dancing _it. One thing that her sister, Karolyn, had taught her was to _never _dance _with the music_, she had to dance _the music_. Throwing a body roll into the routine Vivian danced with a style that was purely confident, wild, and 100% sexy. Her fierce yet knowing smile lingered on her lips as she danced, putting her 100% style and attitude into the dance. Her long dark waves flew around in messy waves and she dropped down to the ground before flipped her hair back over her head and coming back up.

_Told her gon' let it move you,_

_It's more than a beat to dance to!_

_Let the music fill you up!_

With her sultry smile still in place, Vivian swung her hips to the right, and flipped her hair. Snapping her finger in a move she leapt and piqued through the studio. The dance was entirely hip-hop with a few jazzy twists and balletic twirls thrown into add some pizzazz. Her dance outfit was composed of a pair of black jazz shoes, no way would she wear those soft pink girly ballet shoes, it was totally unsuited for this dance. A black pair of dance shorts hugged her butt like an extra layer of skin and a silver dance cami with a sleek gray shrug completed the outfit. She had stayed away from shiny pink, white or gold this time and going through the entire island to find a basic pair of _black_ dance shorts.

_You ain't never seen nobody get high like,_

_What I'm about to show you is going to be the highlight_

_Get up and away._

_Up, up and away._

Sticking to her usual technique of picking a memory that went with the music, she danced along with her spirit and feelings. She called up the memory of the time where her Karolyn, her sister, had dragged her into a club – which was illegal, but nothing ever stopped Vivian Dresden – and consequently been thrown into the middle of dance battle. Closing her eyes for a brief second, she could practically see the flashing lights, the faint scent of smoke and alcohol and the grinding bodies. Kicking her leg into the air, she spun into a triple pirouette before going into an intricate locking combo. She slid into the splits halfway through the song and brought her legs back together and rolling up on her toes. Her hair had long been messed up into a wild tangle that went with the entire style of her dance

_Get up and away. Up up and away._

_Better move out the way,_

'_cause here she comes!_

_Everybody! E-everbody!_

_Get up!_

Dropping down a final time and swaying her hips as she body-rolled up, Vivian tossed her messy waves over her shoulder and struck her final pose with her chin up in a defiant gesture and one hand on a hip that jutted out.

"Damn, you're good," a girl's voice broke the silence that followed Vivian's dance. Vivian grinned, now _that_ was a reaction she expected.

"Incredible job," Jenny nodded slowly, as if her mind was still processing the dance. "That was a style that not many girls have done before, Vivian, but it was still incredible. You're attitude and style was perfect with the music, in fact, it _was_ the music. Excellent job, Vivian."

"Thank you," Vivian smiled graciously at Jenny.

"Oh, and Rebecca?" Jenny called, "Your dance was good, but you could learn how to smoothen out your movements more from Vivian. Make your body fluid and let it flow, that was one thing that Vivian did extremely well. You're too jerky and stiff, loosen up and move with the music, dancing like a robot is not allowed at Alpha Academy. I want to see those hip shakes improved by tomorrow morning, Rebecca. Fluid movement, girls. Just like Vivian."

"Vivian's style was totally slutty!" cried Rebecca indignantly, "It was like she was grinding on a bunch of guys!"

Vivian's dark eyes flashed furiously, sure the dance might have lingered a bit on the provocative side but to call her slut in front of the entire dance class? That was it, Rebecca Pomerleau was a dead girl. With her dark eyes boring into Rebecca's green ones, Vivian gave Rebecca a steely death stare before stalking over to her.

"Amphitrite Rink, tonight at 9," Vivian hissed to Rebecca "Bring skates."

Vivian pulled off her black jazz shoes, tossed them into her dance bag and walked out of the studio room with her messy waves swaying as the bell rang, releasing the girls for the next class.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

Stars sparkled overhead, visible through the domed roof of the Taylor Swift House. Downstairs in her own room, Ivory – the house muse – slept peacefully. Unaware that in the bedroom of the house, four girls were dressing quickly and quietly, preparing to sneak out of the house and to the skating rink for Vivian's infamous skating party. Vivian herself had already gone to the rink thirty minutes ago.

"-all down, right?" Vivian asked Tammie Duong, an Asian girl with an Alpha Track in technology. An inventor/computer whiz. She had met Tammie through Dannie, a fellow figure skater. When Vivian passed the idea of throwing a skating party to Dannie, Dannie had been all up for the idea and had immediately recruited Tammie, her roommate to help out. Tammie had managed to hack into the island's security system through her aPod and had disabled all the cameras on the island so that none of the girls would be busted by Shira. Vivian had done most of the inviting, including "accidently" bumping into Taz on her way to lunch and inviting him to the rink.

"Yeah, all the cameras are down," confirmed Tammie with a bright smile. Her long straight black hair and almond-shaped brown eyes reminded Vivian of her old skating bestie, Meggie Chang. Even planning the party had reminded Vivian of the times she had thrown skating parties with her skating friends. Jamie would have broken into her older brother's alcohol supply for some peach schnapps while Andie (short for Andrea) would have personally invited the entire football team while Vivian invited the entire hockey team at the rink. Meggie would be the one putting together the entire party, the brains behind the fun. But now, Vivian was working with a tech whiz and a bubbly skater to put the party together.

"I really like your outfit, Viv," commented Dannie. Vivian had changed into a metallic silver mini dress with a layered-ruffled skirt and bandeau top. Her hair had been freshly washed with her favorite shampoo and curled into loose waves that floated around her face and gleamed in the rink's lighting. Her skates were laced up tight on her feet as she glided around the rink.

"Thanks," smiled Vivian as she appraised Dannie's outfit. Dannie had traded in the standard uniform for an off-shoulder white top and a gold skirt. Tammie was wearing a similar tank-and-skirt combo but instead of white and gold she was wearing a sequined black top and a dark silver skirt that hung low on her hips, exposing a tiny sliver of a flat stomach. Skates were on each girl's feet as they skimmed the ice, preparing the rink for the party.

"So everything's ready?" asked Dannie.

"Yeah," answered Tammie with a proud smile.

"Ready to party girls?" asked Vivian with a grin.

_Dear Jamie,_

_ Take this, I'm throwing the first ever party at Alpha Academy! And there's more, it's a skating party! You would so love this, Jamie. It's not a real party without those peach schnapps, girl. Remember how we used to drink some before every big competition? I miss you guys so much! So other than my roommates there's these two girls that are my new party-planners, Tammie Duong, a super smart tech chick and Dannie Fletcher, this really tiny skater in my class. And there's more! The Brazille Boys are coming too! Remember how we read about the in the magazines and how you said my future husband would be Taz or Mel? Well I talked to BOTH of them today! There's also this really annoying dancer girl, Rebecca, whose butt I kicked in dance class today, at least all those crazy classes with Gina helped! So Alpha Academy is GREAT so far and I've got a party to host now, so that's about it! Love love love and miss miss miss ALL of you guys! Hugs to all of you and tell Meggie and Andie that I love them too!_

_Your one and only bestie,_

_Vivian_

* * *

**All this time,**

**I never knew I was so strong,**

**But you made find the fire,**

**That was there all along,**

**In your eyes, **

**I can see all I can be,**

**Suddenly I want it all,**

**I know you'll catch me whenever I fall.**

* * *

**Read and Review! Reviews are INCREDIBLE and inspire this story. If you review, I'll love you forever! :) Happy Valentines Day everyone! **

**Vivian really _does _have a temper doesn't she? I feel kinda bad for Rebecca. Ah well, the drama is starting already and tensions have begun. **

**Remember, first writer to answer the questions correctly gets a tiny teaser!

* * *

**

**Question 1: Name the song posted at the beginning and ending of the chapter (Hint: it's all one song LOL) and tell me what movie it's from. **

**Question 2: What is the first name of Vivian's old skating coach?

* * *

**

**So any plot ideas? So we've got a skating party coming up, huh? Sounds fun... :D**

**I don't have a beta so all the mistakes are mine.**

**Next update: Friday, February 18 (Hopefully!) **

**-The Lovely Psyche**


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh my. This is WAY TOO LATE. Yes, I know I said I'd update on Friday, sigh. Dance practice came up and everything just went downhill. Not to mention I had a MAJOR writer's block this entire week and I've been bombarded with essays. Darn you English. But anyways, enjoy! Vivian's skating was inspired by ****Ice Princess**** and ****The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold****. New favorite skaters: Jackie Dorsey and Casey Carlyle. Oh and Nikki Fletcher is incredible too. You go Jumping Shrimp! Does anyone even know what I'm rambling about? Those movies make me wanna write more about Vivian's skating. (:

* * *

**

**Your life plays out on the shadows of the wall,**

**You turn on the light to erase it all,**

**You wonder what it's like to not feel worthless,**

**So open all the blinds and all the curtains.

* * *

**

**CHAPTER SIX**

Outside the Amphitrite Rink, the moon shone benevolently casting moonbeams gleaming into the trees of the island. Birds rustled softly in the branches of the trees and glass wall of the skating rink was covered with a shining silver metal sheet. Silence rang through the island and the soft cooing of birds and the whispers of the wind danced through the island. Under the tiny gap of the double doors of the ice rink, a glowing sliver of golden light gleamed brightly, the only evidence of Vivian Dresden's skating party.

"Get this party started on a Saturday night, everybody's waiting for me to arrive," Vivian sang out the lyrics as she swirled around the ice with a laughing smile on her face. Her silver skating dress sparkled and shimmered in the rink's lights as she freestyle-skated with Dannie as they sang along to the music. Her gleaming dark waves flew out around her face in loose spiral curls and silver bangle bracelets jingled on her wrists adding a bit of glitz to her sparkling outfit.

Girls in shining dresses mingled around the rink and the sound of carefree laughter filled the rink. Vivian could see Tammie chatting with the rest of the J.K. Rowlings in the bleachers of the rink. Bright colorful lights flashed around the room giving the rink a more glitzy club-esque party look. It had been Vivian's idea to fix up the rink's lights and Tammie had executed the plan perfectly. Dannie, Suzanne, Lily and Siena – the rest of the skaters in Vivian's class – skimmed on the ice gracefully, talking to other girls from different Alpha Houses and flirting with the Brazille Boys who had somehow managed to find a skates and stood in the center of the rink.

The rest of Vivian's roommates had arrived a few minutes ago and they had spread out around the room chatting with other alpha girls. Summer was off talking to Gwen, a girl with an Alpha Track in poetry from the Michelle Obama House while Reid was talking to a group of other artsy girls. Ali and Alice had joined Vivian and the rest of the skaters in center ice as they laughed and chat-flirted with the Brazille Boys.

Music blasted through the rink, lights flashed and the ice gleamed enticingly. Not only had Tammie managed to hack and sabotage all the security cameras, she had hooked up and put together the coolest sound system that Vivian had ever seen. Vivian was definitely adding Tammie to her list of party planners. That girl did wonders with technology.

"Whoa! Hey Mel, watch this!" Dingo shouted out as he jumped in the air in an attempt to try out one of Dannie's jumps. He twisted mid-air and landed wobbling on a single skate. Lily and Rachel giggled before continuing to try to teach Dingo how to land an axel properly. Ali stood besides them, laughing.

"Your arms are flying everywhere," laughed Rachel.

"And jump higher!" added Lily.

"Oh yeah, Dingo?" Mel challenged. He jumped up and attempted to mimic a move that Vivian had just done a few feet away and made a grand gesture of twisting and turning.

"You guys look so – " Ali dissolved into giggles.

"Watch!" Rachel glided forward, pushed off the ice, completed a few rotations and landed solidly and turned back to Ali and Lily.

"I'll teach you how to skate," she offered as Ali glided forward, eagerly joining her. Vivian smiled, her party was definitely a success. Not only was it a mini-showcase for the skater girls, it was _fun_.

Taz had somehow been sucked into a circle of girls giggling and flirting around him while Vivian skated besides Dannie. She longed to join the girls and flirt with Taz but she knew that keeping her distance would just increase chances of being different, to make her not just another girl to Taz.

Other girls lingered on the ice, hovering carefully and gliding on the ice with caution. No one wanted to fall on their butts in front of the BBs. Most of the Michelle Obamas, including Rebecca and Sabrina, had claimed the spot near the wooden bars at the northern end of rink. Rebecca had already put on skates and was desperately trying to land a double axel before Vivian challenged her to skate. A wicked smile crept up on Vivian's glossy lips as she watched Rebecca's attempts to land the jump. Vivian herself could do those simple jumps since she was five.

Vivian's eyes suddenly narrowed as Sabrina glided over to the group around Taz and immediately placed her hot-pink polished fingers on his arm. _Oh no, she didn't!_ She watched intently as Sabrina batted her eyelashes, and swayed her hips before waltzing off and gliding back towards the Michelle Obamas._ What was that all about?_

"Be right back, Dannie," Vivian put on a bit of speed and shot towards the Michelle Obamas like a bullet before screeching to a stop right in front of Rebecca, spraying ice straight into Rebecca's face.

"Oops," smirked Vivian, "Didn't mean to stop so soon."

"Oh look, it's the ice b*tch," sneered Sabrina before Rebecca could open her mouth, "Where's the rest of your posse?"

"Around," Vivian shrugged carelessly, before adding in an extra snub to Sabrina, "After all, I don't need an entourage to follow me around to give me confidence."

"You're just another girl who thinks she's all that, aren't you?" spat Rebecca. "You're just like those drama divas – spoiled, bratty and thinking that you're a freaking princess!"

Vivian rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah? Like you're anything better. Always shaking your butt and hopping around thinking that you're actually dancing. Not everyone is worshipping your ass here, you know. Jenny already knows what a wanna-be you are from your dance today in class."

Rebecca's face flushed a deep shade of red to match her hair. "You're such a – "

"Vivian!" Dannie's screech echoed through the rink, interrupting whatever insult Rebecca was going to call Vivian. "Let's show Miss Rebecca over there how us skaters skate!"

Vivian smiled brightly. She turned away from Sabrina and Rebecca without a second glance and sped towards Dannie before spinning straight into a routine she had choreograph five minutes before the party started. Tammie jumped up from the bleachers and ran towards the stereo to cue up Vivian's music. Slicing each skate through the ice, propelling herself forward, Vivian glided around the rink at maximum speed. Her old coach, Natalyia, had pushed Vivian to her limits, making her do multiple laps around the rink per day. Something that had boosted Vivian's skating abilities and taken her to the top in all her competitions.

_I look around and see,_

_All the possibilities,_

_You know it's fun to be me,_

Vivian grinned as she took in the attention that focused on her as she glided around the rink before stepping into a lyrical combo set that she had choreographed with Meggie last year during SummerSkate, a summer skating program in Northern California. Taz's blue eyes had turned away from the girls surrounding him and she could feel his eyes focused on her as she held out an arm in front of her and glided backwards, carving delicate S-shaped trails in the smooth ice. She had danced to this song once at Jamie's 13th birthday party and had literally laughed and danced wildly the entire time. Running through the fun and wild night she channeled her inner party girl and skated just like another girl having fun freestyling in the middle of a frozen pond. Leaving the tricky jumps for later she sliced a leg through the ice propelling her forward and pulled her other leg up high in the air into a fluid arabesque.

_Never fit the crowd,_

_Nothing gets me down,_

_Never scared to d-d-d-dream. _

Her glossy lips, coated with Nars Greek Holiday, formed the words to the song as she sang along with it. Digressing from her usual skating style, she had thrown in a few jazzy moves and balletic themes into this skating program, making it more…dancey. It was a mood piece, like a set that Vivian would skate for fun on the pond next to her grandparent's house in Wisconsin. Something that fit her mood, something to have fun with. Extending her arms out, she smiled as she glided fluidly before pulling her arms up over her head and bringing them in as she leapt up into a double Lutz. Lifting a leg and bending it and leaning back into a sitting position, she extended the bent leg and tilted down, lifting the leg up and extending her arms in a diagonal tilt while gliding backwards.

_I've got a buzz in me, _

_That no one ever sees,_

_It's in the attitude,_

_(yeah)_

Her dark waves flew out behind her and she drew her arms in tighter and spinning around and around like a top until her figure became a whirling blur and she raised her arms up gradually in a super tight pencil turn. Throwing in her signature style and attitude into the skate she sped forward holding her arms out and crossing each skate over her other before turning again leaping up and opening her legs in a 180 degree split. She landed from her jump and twirled into a spin. Holding her arms up over her head she arched her back and spun lower and lower. Coming out of her spin, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, jumped up and completed three full tight rotations before landing solidly on a single skate.

_I am gonna find a way,_

_No matter what they say,_

_ I do what I gotta do. _

Holding out her arms at her side, she skipped, glided, floated and turned on the ice. Holding out her arms into an L shape she crossed her skates and whirled faster and faster. Recovering from her spin, she pulled back and glided backwards, carving the delicates patterns in the ice. Snapping her head in a move similar to the one she had done earlier that day in the dance studio, Vivian glided into a new combo set, pulling moves from an old program that she had choreographed with Jamie a while back. Loving the slicing whoosh of her skates on ice, she glided backwards on a single skate with the other lifted up before leaping up into a triple axel and landing it perfectly.

_If I had my way,_

_I would make new rules, that sounds cool,_

_People say I'm crazy, _

_But they don't understand who I am._

For once, Vivian didn't imagine a memory or dig up some emotions from the past. She skated like she was living in the moment, like she was a girl skating for the heck of it at a party. Gliding on one skate and skimming with a textbook-perfect spread-eagle, Vivian leaped into double Lutz before landing cleanly and spinning tightly and striking her finishing pose.

Applause filled the rink as Vivian grinned and glided off center ice to stand between Ali and Dannie.

"Let's see if Miss Wannabe Dancer can show that up," whispered Ali with a slight smile. "That was the first time I saw you skate, Viv."

"Come on, Rebecca!" Vivian called out, "Show us how good you can skate," Vivian flashed Rebecca her sweetest, fakest and brightest smile as eager girls pushed Rebecca into the center of the rink. Rebecca slowly skated into the center of the ice and paused hesitantly before pulling on her confident façade that Vivian saw right through. Rebecca was scared, and Vivian knew it. She was caught just where Vivian wanted her, in the middle of everyone's attention while Vivian waited for her to fail. It was the perfect plan from the start, it was a way for Vivian to score her status as Alpha Party Girl and to establish her ranking as Top Alpha Skater and to humiliate Rebecca in front of the entire academy. Karolyn would have been proud of her devious plan. Ever since Vivian was little, it was Karolyn who first taught her how to curl her own hair, how to apply mascara like a pro, how to handle the power-plays between alpha females and how to hold her own in a showdown with another girl.

Tammie cued up Rebecca's music and she began to skate. Vivian analyzed each of Rebecca's movements and came to the conclusion that she had basically stolen the simplest moves from the Olympics and figure-skating movies and the level of skating Rebecca was currently at – Vivian had skated better than that when she was six. She watched as Rebecca jumped into a double axel and landed wobbling on a single skate before hastily putting the other skate down to steady herself. She could see Rebecca's cheeks heating up with embarrassment to match the shade of her hair before it formed into a hardened face of determination.

_She's attempting a double Lutz._ Vivian realized with widening eyes. There was no way Rebecca would manage that. It had taken Vivian herself at least a year to land that jump perfectly. Sheer determination and dancing experience would do nothing for Rebecca. Rebecca leapt up in the air, turned one rotation before falling down hard on her right leg with a scream.

"Ohmygawd, that was the stupidest thing I've ever seen," Suzanne stared at Rebecca with stunned eyes as Sabrina and the rest of the Michelle Obamas rushed forward to help Rebecca up, who had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"She…tried a triple Lutz and she never skated before," Vivian shook her head. If Rebecca had broken her leg, that wouldn't be a surprise.

"Is she _mental?_" demanded Dannie.

"Or retarded," shrugged Lily while Siena nodded in agreement.

"That girl definitely knows nothing about skating," Siena declared. All five alpha skaters stared at Rebecca who staggered over to the bleachers with tears while whispers broke out among the other girls at the party.

"Who's up for some freeze-tag!" shouted Dingo in an attempt to break the tension. "It's freezing in here!"

Laughter bubbled around the rink as girls eagerly volunteered. "I'll be IT," yelled out Taz who had joined the game eagerly. Vivian scanned the rink as Ali immediately joined the other freeze-tag players. Darwin and Sydney were nowhere to be seen but Mel, Dingo and Taz were all for the game with enthusiasm.

"Come on!" Vivian yanked Dannie and Alice towards the group while Taz began shout-counting down with his hands over his eyes. This was a perfect opportunity to mess with the Brazille boys. Anyways, Taz definitely seemed like fun. Mel, Dingo and the rest of the girls spread out through the rink as Taz kept counting in the center of the rink. Vivian spotted Summer hovering on the ice besides the poet-chick, Gwen while Alice and Danne stayed besides her. She had no idea where Reid was but anyways, she didn't seem like the type to be playing freeze-tag in the center of a skating rink. The rest of her fellow skaters – Suzanne, Lily, and Siena – had all spread out through the rink and waited as Taz counted. A plan formed in her mind as she kept her dark eyes focused on Taz.

"Nineteen! Eighteen! Seventeen!" Taz shouted out while keeping his hands over his closed eyes.

Vivian broke away from Alice and Dannie and skated right up to Taz before circling around him, laughing softly.

"Fourteen," whispered Vivian in his ear before shooting away rapidly and watching his reaction. A small smile crept up on her face. Freeze-tag was _her_ game, a game that the Colorado Springs Skating Center girls played on a daily basis. Not to mention, they were in the center of a skating rink – her territory.

"Eleven! Ten! Nine! Eight!" Taz kept counting while Suzanne zoomed over to Vivian before whispering into her ear.

"Flirting with him already? No prob, I've got dibs on Mel, though," Suzanne smiled.

"Three, two," Vivian skated back up to Taz and circled him slowly, waiting for him to open his eyes.

"One!" Taz's blue eyes flew open and his arm shot out, just missing Vivian who winked at him slyly and began skating backwards with her eyes focused on his.

"Catch me if you can!" Vivian sang out as she spun away from Taz and shot towards the other end of the rink, throwing a double axel in just for the heck of it.

_This was going to be fun.

* * *

_

X-X-X

* * *

Reid looked up as the redheaded dancer girl, Rebecca collapsed into the bleachers right next to her. She had seen everything, from Vivian's incredible skating to Rebecca's horrific fall on the ice. She might have disagreed with Vivian's revenge plan but she wasn't about get into a fight with Vivian too, who knows what Vivian might do to her?

"Um, are you okay?" Reid asked tentatively, half-hoping that Rebecca wouldn't bite her head off for talking to her.

"I-I-I-I," Rebecca stuttered, "I think there's something wrong with my leg," she sob-confessed. Reid's brown eyes widened, that wasn't good.

"Do you want me to help you to the infirmary?" Reid asked uncertainly. She wasn't going to be labeled a traitor by the rest of the Taylor Swifts if she helped Rebecca out, right? But she couldn't just leave Rebecca to suffer by herself. Even Rebecca's own bunkmates had disappeared into the game of freeze-tag that was taking place on the ice. Reid could see Vivian's dark hair flying as she sped away from Taz, laughing. Alice, Ali and Summer had jumped into the game with enthusiasm, leaving Reid by herself. Anyways, there was no way Reid would set a foot onto the ice. She was clumsy, period. Reid plus "ice" equaled "disaster", she didn't need to be a Alpha Mathematician to figure that equation out.

"No, it's ok," Rebecca shook her head. Reid didn't know why Vivian had gotten so mad at her, Rebecca seemed like a nice girl. Maybe Vivian's temper just got in the way.

"I'll get you some ice for your ankle," offered Reid as she stood up. She made her way over to the drinks table where she wrapped up a handful of ice in some napkins. Weaving back through the bleachers filled with chatting alphas, Reid handed over the ice to Rebecca.

"Thanks," sniffed Rebecca, wiping another tear away. She took the ice gratefully and placed it carefully on her swelling and bruised ankle.

"Is your leg okay?" asked Reid.

"I can't put any weight on it," Rebecca shook her head. "I can barely even walk!" she cried.

"You can't walk?" Reid's eyes widened.

"Barely! I'm never going to be able to dance again! I hate her!" cried Rebecca bitterly before dissolving into another bout of tears. Reid sat there with nothing to say. What could she say? _Oh, I'm so sorry that one of my friends just challenged you to skate and you broke you leg?_ No way. So she said the only thing she could think of.

"Fruit punch?" Reid blurted out, "There's some over there at the drinks table."

"Okay," Rebecca smiled a small smile.

Shaking her head at her own awkwardness, Reid headed back over to the drinks table – this time to get a cup of fruit punch for Rebecca. _What was I thinking?_ She thought to herself. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't noticed herself walking right into someone until she crashed right into the person.

"Ohmygod, I'm so sorry!" cried Reid as she stumbled backwards. She looked up at the girl she had bumped into and froze. _Oh god. _She didn't just bump into another alpha girl, she had literally crashed right into Darwin Brazille himself.

"I-I didn't see you there, really I didn't and I'm so sorry, and I'm just clumsy and oh my god I can't believe I just crashed into you like that, are you okay, I'm so sorry and I just – " Reid rambled on in her nervousness.

"Whoa, Reid," Darwin laughed as he steadied Reid, "It's ok, seriously, you don't have to apologize so much."

Reid flushed. "It's just I ramble a lot when I'm nervous and I'm really so sorry and oh my god am I rambling again?"

Darwin laughed, revealing his iMac white teeth and Reid found herself admiring how his brown hair gleamed in the skating rink's lights and the chiseled shape of his jaw. Shoving back the thought that her crush-alerts were in fire-engine red mode, she asked, "How come you're not playing freeze-tag like the rest of your brothers?"

"I'm not really a skating guy," Darwin shrugged.

"Me neither," admitted Reid shyly. Talking to Darwin was a lot easier than she expected, she would usually stutter and blushed the entire time when she talked to other boys back at her old school.

"So what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Getting punch," Reid held up the red plastic cup before realizing it was empty, "for Rebecca," she clarified, "The girl who fell."

"That's really nice of you," Darwin smiled back, "But I meant, why are you at a skating party if you don't skate, and no offense but you don't seem like a party girl type."

"Oh, that," Reid blushed, "My roommate was throwing the party so I guess I just got convinced into coming."

"You're one of Vivian Dresden's roommates then, right?" he asked.

Reid nodded, "Taylor Swift house,"

"Yeah, she came up to me and Taz at lunch today and invited us," Darwin explained, gesturing to the dark-haired skater in question who was currently leaping into the air and performing a complicated jump that Reid had no clue what it was called.

"Cool," he grinned. "So you're into art, right?"

"Yeah!" Reid's eyes lit up, talking about art was something that she could do.

"Hey want to meet me by the lake this afternoon? I want to show you the spot I picked for Hazel's watercolor project," Darwin smiled his adorable smile at Reid.

_Oh my god is he asking me out?_

"U-uh, sure! Yeah, I'll be there!" Reid stammered out. "The lake, right? Yeah, I'll go."

Darwin grinned, "See you tomorrow!"

Reid watched as he gave her that adorable smile and walked off to find his other brother, Sydney.

"Oooh girl," a voice came from next to Reid, "Darwin Brazille, huh?"

Reid spun around to face Ashley Bell, the blonde from her painting class who was smiling at her.

"Hey Ashley," Reid gave Ashley wary smile. After all, she wasn't really allowed to be talking to a Brazille boy, but then again, none of them were really allowed to even be at this party. "Having fun?"

"Oooh yes! You're roomie really does have a talent for throwing parties, huh?" Ashley nodded towards Vivian.

"Um, yeah. She's a party girl," Reid shrugged.

"Cool," smiled Ashley. "So how come you're not on the ice with her?" She tilted her chin towards the ice where the wild game of freeze tag was still raging.

"I'm not skating person," admitted Reid. "What about you?"

"Didn't really feel like falling on my butt in front of everyone,"

Reid nodded. She could understand what Ashley meant. After all, she was never much of a physical person, always failing the Physical Fitness tests at school and couldn't even run a mile under fourteen minutes. Dancing, acting, skating or playing sports were never things that Reid were good at. Drawing and painting however, where things that she _could_ do.

"Reid!" a shout came from the ice. Vivian Dresden breezed by the crowd and stopped in front of Reid and Ashley.

"Come on, skate!" Vivian dangled a pair of skates in front of Reid with a bright smile.

"Vivian, I can't skate," protested Reid.

"It's not that hard," Vivian insisted, "I won't let you fall, pinky-promise." She stuck out her pinky like a little girl and pouted.

Reid eyed her hesitantly. The old Reid, the girl who never partied, the girl who never stayed up late, the girl who never broke the rules was shaking her head vehemently. The new Reid, the girl who applied to Alpha Academy, the girl who snuck out to an illegal party with her roommates, the girl who talked to a Brazille boy was jumping up and down and screaming "Yes!"

She cast a glance towards Summer who was gliding uncertainly on the ice besides Alice who was smiling and towards Ali who was currently learning how to do an toe loop with one of Vivian's skating friends…..Dannie?

"Come on! Everyone's on the ice and I'm not leaving you to just sit here like a loser," Vivian tapped her foot impatiently.

"What happened to freeze-tag?" asked Reid, stalling for time.

"A skating party is stupid unless all my friends are having fun," Vivian declared. "And you're just sitting here! Come ON! I'll teach you how to skate."

"Ok," Reid conceded finally and laced up the skates that Vivian had offered.

Vivian smiled brightly. Pulling Reid up to her feet and dragging her over to the rink, Vivian paused.

"Take off the skate guards," she instructed, "And just step on the ice, careful."

Reid placed a skate on the ice and other one while holding on to Vivian's arm. Vivian pushed off slowly, dragging Reid with her, gliding smoothly and confidently across the ice.

"Hold out your arms and balance," Vivian cautiously let go of Reid.

Reid held out her arms carefully and slid forward a few feet while Vivian circled her. A smile lit up her face, she was skating!

"Ahhh!" cried Reid as she felt herself begin to wobble and slip. Vivian's hand instantly shot out and grabbed her arm pulling Reid back up before she could fall.

"I promised that you won't fall," Vivian smiled angelically at Reid.

Grabbing Reid's arm, Vivian began to skate backwards – still pulling Reid along until they were in the center of the ice.

"Reid!" called out another voice. Summer glided up to them, wobbling slightly on the skates with Alice right behind her.

"Yay! We can all skate!" Alice cried enthusiastically.

"Looklooklook look!" Ali cried as she jumped up in the air, twisted halfway and landing with a slight wobble on a single skate.

"I did an axel! Well, kind of," Ali laughed as the rest of the girls joined in.

Reid laughed giddily. It was all so surreal. She was at Alpha Academy, at a skating party! And she was _skating!_ Laughing with the four new girls she called her friends, Reid never felt more at home. That feeling of belonging that she had felt during her painting class intensified as she met Summer's bright smile, Alice's grin, Ali's laugh and Vivian's sparkling eyes.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

Reid Dame leaned back in her pillows as darkness wrapped around the Taylor Swift house like dark velvet blanket dotted with sparkling stars. Tammie had wired the cameras to turn back on at exactly 2 am in the morning so Vivian, Tammie and Dannie had declared the official ending of the skating party sometime around 1 before kicking everyone off with the warning that the cameras would turn back on at exactly 2 in the morning.

Each girl had jumped into bed as soon as possible, faking their peaceful slumber as the cameras finally blinked on as the red digits on Reid's alarm clock blinked and shifted to 2:00. Her eyes wandered towards the rest of the girls. She glanced at the two girls around her. Summer's long blonde straight hair fanned out on the white pillow as she slept peacefully and Alice was curled up on her side with her face burrowed deep into her own pillow as she snored softly. Reid had survived her very first day at Alpha Academy. She had succeeded in her classes, partied with the coolest girls she had ever met, talked to the cutest guy she had ever seen and had ice-skated for the first time in her life. New Reid was finally making an appearance in her life and taking control of the wheel for once. She smiled and made a wish, staring up at the star-studded ceiling.

_I wish that I'll stay friends with all of these girls forever and to try and be the best at Alpha Academy.

* * *

_

X-X-X

* * *

Wrapped comfortably in her own sheets, Vivian Dresden traced the patterns of her gold embroidery on her pillow. She knew that her party was a success, and that she had successfully humiliated Rebecca. Everything had happened to plan – but a small twinge of guilt still lingered. But really, it _wasn't_ her fault that Rebecca attempted a crazy jump….right? She had already written out her latest letter in her purple notebook. Writing the letters somehow made her feel like she really was talking to her friends, Meggie, Jamie and Andie. She still missed them like crazy, knowing that no matter how many parties she threw, how many triples she jumped – skating by herself here at Alpha Academy just wasn't the same as skating along with Meggie towards their goal of the Olympics. Throwing the parties here just wasn't the same as crashing a senior party at the high school with Jamie. Flirting with Taz just wasn't the same as gossiping about boys with Andie. Swallowing back another wave of homesickness, Vivian ran through the note she had written.

_Dear Andie,_

_ Ohmuhgod girl! You don't know how much I freaking MISSED YOU! So the party tonight was INCREDIBLE and Taz, oh my god don't even get me started. That dancer girl, Rebecca, fell – can you believe she attempted a double Lutz just out of nowhere? Well she did. Remember how we spent AGES landing that at SummerSkate. Well, Meggie got it way faster…but I still landed my triple axel before her! (: Skating isn't the same without you guys, I miss you guys so much it's not even funny. Remember that combo me and Jamie made back at Lake Placid? Well, I borrow some moves and jumps from there. OHMUHGOD you're competition is coming up! Regionals! I can't believe I'm missing that! Oh god. At least I'm still training here though. You better bring back some medals! Tell Meggie and Jamie that I expect you to split up the gold, silver and bronze! Doesn't matter who gets what, as long as it's you three that scores the top three. And Isabelle Rivers is going to be there! Tell Meggie to give her a good ass-kicking for me, will you? Is she still doing the classic mind games? The classic, "oh you're never good enough so why bother" tactic? It's still way to early in the season for mind games. Tell Miss Isabelle to butt out and just go away! Anyways, Olympics are still right in my path! We're going to the Olympics guys, in just a few years. I'll soon be competing with you guys for the gold so get ready! Miss you and love you guys so MUCH. _

_Your one and only BSBF, _

_Vivian_

_P.S. BSBF = Best Skating Buddy Forever. My new term. Hugs!

* * *

_

**There's a will, there's a way,**

**Sometimes words just can't explain,**

**This is real, I'm afraid,**

**I guess this time there's just no hidin', fightin',**

**You make me restless.

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**

**Reviews make my day. I will confess I check my phone every hour for any new reviews. Pretty please? Let's just say reviews encourage me to write more (: Review! And as usual, first reviewer to answer both questions correctly gets a tiny teaser.

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**Question 1: Name the two songs posted at the beginning and ending of the chapter. I'll give you a hint, they're both from the same movie. *winks***

**Question 2: What's the name of Summer's younger brother?

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**I don't have a beta so all the mistakes are mine.**

**-The Lovely Psyche**


	7. Chapter 7

**Oh. My. God. So I'm super sorry for the late update, I've been swamped with essays, projects, tests and whatnot for the past week - or was it weeks? Not to mention, I've had a MAJOR writer's block. Sigh. Whatever. So...enjoy this chapter?

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**CHAPTER SEVEN**

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ATTENTION ALL ALPHAS. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO ATTENTED A MANDATORY ASSEMBLY DURING BREAKFAST THIS MORNING.

-SHIRA BRAZILLE

* * *

Reid swallowed hard as she glanced at the ominous message that had suddenly taken over the screen of her aPod. Mandatory assembly? Even the font looked threatening. Was it about the Vivian's party last night? She had a horrible feeling that it was. Shira couldn't expel _all_ the girls at the party….could she? Or maybe just Vivian. Would she? Reid's brown eyes flicked up from the aPod and found Vivian's expressionless face. It was barely morning and the buzzing of their aPods had woken every alpha girl from their sleep. Summer's forehead was wrinkled like it was when she was deep in thought as she still huddled in the warmth of her blankets. Her long blonde hair had somehow managed to look the same in the early morning, something that Reid envied. Messy bed head looked horrible and unflattering on Reid. Alice's bottom lip stuck out slightly in a worried frown as she leaned back against the headboard of the standard bed. Her black hair had been pulled back into a loose ponytail as she slept, keeping her hair from being messed up. On Summer's other side, Ali sat up as her green eyes grew wider and wider as she absorbed the message. Fear flicked across Ali's face and she looked up and met Reid's gaze. Across the room from Reid's bed, Vivian's dark eyes skimmed the screen of her aPod with an expressionlessly. Her strap of her loose tank had inched off her shoulder and her hair had been pulled into a loose side ponytail.

"What do you think about it?" asked Reid softly. She looked around the room. Sunlight streamed through the curtains of the windows, brightening up the room while giving the worried atmosphere a bright and cheery background. With the sunlight reflecting off their PJs, the five Taylor Swifts shimmered and shone in the light.

"Do you think we'll get expelled?" Alice voiced her worries while Summer nodded slowly.

"What _I_ want to know is that how Shira found out," Vivian's hard voice cut through the silence. "I _know_ that none of the cameras were on during the entire party, Tammie and I made sure of that."

"Maybe there was a camera you missed," suggested Ali.

Vivian shook her head. "No, I broke into Shira's house and Tammie hacked the main security system. There's only fourteen cameras and all of them had been disabled."

Summer spoke up, "Well if it's not the cameras, then someone must have ratted you out."

Vivian's eyes narrowed in understanding. "Rebecca," she hissed furiously. She opened her mouth but Summer instantly cut her off.

"Are there any cameras in here?" her question immediately stunned the girls into silence. Reid's eyes widened in horror. If there were, Shira would already know everything she needed to know.

"No, there aren't," Vivian answered as the rest of the girls exhaled in relief. "I told Tammie to break the ones that are focused on the bedrooms. It'll take a while to get them fixed. We wired the ones around the island to turn off between the time period and turn on at 2am, but the ones in the Residences are all broken just in case girls accidently talked about it during the night."

"You think of everything," commented Summer. "I would never even had thought about it."

"Yeah, well I'd had some experience planning parties," Vivian's dark eyes glanced wistfully out the window and Reid found herself wondering what she was thinking about.

"Girls? You should all be dressed in a few minutes, Shira does not tolerate lateness," Ivory glided into bedroom, startling Reid from her thoughts.

"Sure," Alice replied to Ivory as she slid out of the bed and headed towards the bathroom. The sound of the faucet turning on and water splashing in the sink came from the bathroom as Reid pulled herself out of her warm bed and into the bathroom. Stepping into the rosy light of the bathroom, Reid turned the water one before splashing her face with the cold water and squeezing a dollop of her grapefruit scented face-wash on her palm and scrubbing her face. Rinsing off all the lather, Reid dried her face on a soft fluffy gold towel and examined her reflection.

"Hey, Vivian can I borrow your eyeliner? I think I forgot to bring some of mine from home," Alice asked.

"Yeah sure," Vivian handed over a black Urban Decay pencil liner as she simultaneously applied her foundation over her flawless skin.

Reid glanced down at her own makeup products. Unscrewing her bottle of Covergirl foundation, she spread it carefully over her face before uncapping her eyeliner pencil and lining her brown eyes. Ever since the beginning of Operation Makeover, Reid had made makeup part of her daily morning routine. First foundation, then comes the mascara, then comes the eyeliner. A hint of eyeshadow if she had time, then a dusting of either blush or bronzer on her cheeks. A final swipe of lip gloss finished her look.

"Do you think Shira's really going expel any of else?" Ali fastened her sparkling tie on and turned to glance at the rest of the girls.

"Yes," answered Vivian immediately. Reid glanced over at her. On the outside, she didn't seem too worried, but a tiny flicker of fear barely showed in her dark eyes. Being quiet most of her life, Reid had become a good observer, good with reading people's expressions. "I guess I'll be kicked all the way back to Colorado." She shook her head.

"Maybe Shira won't expel you," said Reid hopefully.

"Yeah, right," snorted Vivian, "I'm going to be on a plane headed straight right back at Chicago in a few short minutes."

There was a silence at Vivian's words.

"Um, we should be going down to the Pavilion," Summer broke the awkward silence.

"Yeah," nodded Ali in agreement.

"Let's go," Vivian screwed her mascara wand back into the tube and tossed it into gold makeup bag.

The sensation of bleak worry settled in her stomach as Reid made her way down the stairs of the Taylor Swift House and followed the rest of the girls into the bright cheery morning. The sunny weather seemed to be mocking Reid, as if showing how the world could be so happy yet the girls so worried.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

It was relatively quiet in the morning. Alpha girls whispered quietly over the breakfast as muses drifted by serenely. Reid stared at her breakfast with a sinking stomach, how could she eat when her nerves were stretched so thin as if they would snap? She could be expelled! If Shira found out about her meeting with Darwin today, Reid was a dead girl. Should she call it off? She had promised to meet Darwin by the lake during lunch today, they would skip it. But the mandatory meeting today was freaking Reid out. What was Shira going to _do_? As if in an answer to Reid's silent question, the floor of the Pavilion slid open and Shira Brazille herself rose up on the stage. Her auburn hair blew in the breeze that seemed to come right out of nowhere and the skies outside darkened.

_She's angry._ Reid realized. With the ability to control everything on the island, Shira's mood reflected on the weather outside. Skies darkened, clouds grew and thunder rumbled ominously. Reid could feel the fear radiating out of every alpha girl.

"Good morning, girls," Shira greeted without a trace of a smile. "I called this meeting this morning for a single purpose. Already, girls have begun to defy my rules and just last night, I caught a girl wandering out of bed."

Her eyes were hidden behind the oversized sunglasses she wore but Reid could feel the glare Shira was sending out. She shivered.

"Now, you all know perfectly well that there is only one girl who will become alpha," Shira declared. "Rebecca Pomerleau, please come up."

Reid's eyes widened in horror. _Was Shira going to expel everyone else and make Rebecca the alpha? _

Rebecca walked up to the stage as whispers broke out among the alphas. Reid could tell that Rebecca was limping slightly no matter how hard she hid it. She froze as a realization came over her. _She had never gone back to Rebecca with the punch._ She had gotten distracted by Darwin then Ashley came up and then Vivian dragged her out on the ice. Was Rebecca mad at her? Would Rebecca get revenge on Reid for ditching her? She had no idea what Rebecca would do. She turned and glanced at Vivian, gauging her reaction to Rebecca. Vivian's face was smooth and unreadable but Reid could see the hint of anger and hatred burning from Vivian's dark eyes.

"Rebecca Pomerleau," Shira's voice boomed as Rebecca stood beside her on the stage.

"Last night, my sources have told me that there was a party," Shira's eyes seemed to be trained on Vivian as she spoke. "And I caught Rebecca stumbling around the dark around 2 am in the morning. She claimed that her ankle was sprained and that it was a certain Alpha girl's fault."

Whispers broke out in the Pavilion. The Michelle Obamas, including Sabrina, turned and stared at Vivian with accusing glares.

"Rebecca told me who was responsible for that party and which girls had orchestrated the entire party," Shira continued.

_Ohmygod was she going to expel all the Taylor Swifts? _Horror washed over Reid. _Or just Vivian, Tammie and Dannie?_

"As you all know, true alphas do not let distractions come between them and their alpha goal. Parties are a waste of time and a distraction – unless you're looking for publicity. It has barely been the very first day and already, someone has broken one of the biggest rules."

Reid swallowed hard. Which rule was she talking about? The no distractions rule? Or the no Brazille boys rule? If it was the second, she had a good chance of getting shipped home.

Shira turned her gaze towards the Taylor Swift table.

The tension was so thick that Reid could have cut it with a butter knife. Like a prisoners waiting for the fall of an ax, the girls trembled in their seats while the storm gathered and rumbled outside. Reid resisted the urge to push her hair out of her eyes, as if single move on her part would get everyone else at the table condemned.

"Vivian Dresden, please come up," Shira commanded. Instant relief flooded over Reid but was immediately replaced with concern and fear for Vivian.

"No!" Reid heard Ali whisper. Horror washed over the Taylor Swifts. _No no no no no no!_ Reid's inner mantra screamed in denial and she long to jump up and scream Shira _can't_ expel Vivian. All eyes turned towards the Taylor Swift table as Vivian slid out of her seat and made her way up to the stage, head held up high and teeth clenched. Reid couldn't detect a single flicker of fear or sadness in Vivian's eyes. All there was a pure defiance and suppressed anger.

"Were you, or were you not responsible for Rebecca's fall last night and did you throw the illegal skating party?" Shira accused Vivian.

Vivian was silent for a beat. _Deny it!_ Reid longed to scream. Shira had no proof that it was Vivian, just Rebecca's word. After, the cameras had all been broken and disabled – except the one that caught Rebecca out of her house. _Deny! Deny! Deny! _

"Yes," Vivian finally answered, her voiced didn't waver. _No!_ shrieked Reid's inner voice.

"I _did_ throw the party but I was not responsible for Rebecca. She chose to skate and failed. That was not my problem. A true alpha does _not_ blame others for her mistakes. Page eighty-four. As for distractions, I was skating. Ask anyone." Her dark eyes met Shira's unflinchingly.

No reply.

Shira merely stared at Vivian. Behind the dark sunglasses, Reid had no idea whether Vivian had taken Shira by surprise or the opposite. Or many Shira was furious at Vivian's audacity. After all, no one had ever stood up to Shira Brazille. Vivian was either very brave or very stupid. Maybe a mix of both.

"Correct," Shira finally answered.

She turned back into the audience and spoke, "Vivian is right, no matter what happens, a true alpha never blames other for their own mistakes – and nor do they betray their friends. When Rebecca was caught, she was _crying. _She named every girl at the party and would do anything, as long as I would keep her at Alpha Academy. A true alpha does not beg. A true alpha does not cry. Rebecca Pomerleau, you have shown that you are not alpha material. Heather?"

_Wait, what?_

A muse with long blond hair walked up to the stage with Rebecca's suitcases.

"Heather will escort you to the planes. Rebecca, you are dismissed from Alpha Academy," Shira stated with finality.

"What?" gasped Rebecca, looking at Shira in shock and disbelief. "But it's Vivian's fault! She threw the party! I fell because of her! I – "

"Enough!" boomed Shira. "Goodbye, Rebecca." Heather, the muse, took Rebecca firmly by the arm and dragged a hysterical and sobbing Rebecca out the door.

"Girls without alpha material are not welcomed here at Alpha Academy. Alpha Academy was built for alphas, not sobbing betas. Weakness is a fault. Betas have faults and alphas do not. Girls will be expelled if showing any sign of losing their alpha potentials. Rebecca Pomerleau was the first to go, the girl who will be next is up for your own behavior to decide." Shira's threatening words echoed around the building.

"Alphas, you are dismissed. Vivian, I will see you in my office. Good day, m'dears." Shira grabbed Vivian's arm and the platform descended back down and the Pavilion was left in shock. It was quiet and still among the remaining ninety-eight girls. It was as if the entire school had frozen. Butterflies stopped fluttering in their path and ninety-eight pairs of eyes were glued to the spot where Shira's stage had vanished. Then the silence was broken. Chattering and whispers broke out among the alphas like a erupting volcano.

"Oh. My. God." Alice stared. "Did that all just happen or was it just me?"

Reid was stunned. Shira expelled Rebecca!

"I guess Vivian had a good argument," Summer said thoughtfully, " but I think we should be heading to class, though."

"At least Vivian isn't expelled!" exclaimed Ali, "That's the whole point!"

"Yeah," nodded Reid.

"Class, girls," Ivory reminded. "Summer's right, you girls should be going to class right away."

Reid nodded with the other girls but a part of her wondered what Rebecca had told Shira. Did Shira know about the meeting with Darwin today? Would Shira expel her? Should she even meet up with Darwin. It was too risky. Summer would have said no. Vivian would have said yes. Alice would be uncertain and Ali would agree with Vivian. But this was Reid. She knew what her friends would say, question was, what would _she_ do?

"Is Shira really going to expel Vivian?" asked Summer.

"Only the true ones will see what the future will hold," Ivory said dreamily. "

"Coming, Reid?"

"Huh?" Reid glanced up to see Alice waiting for her.

"You've got painting, right? I'll walk with you. I'm heading towards my acting class," Reid saw a flicker of disgust flash over Alice's face as she said the words "acting class".

"Oh yeah, sure," Reid stood up from the table, "Let's go."

As Reid walked out of the Pavilion with Alice, she couldn't help but sneak a look up at the balcony, scanning for Darwin's face. Her brown eyes met his and she quickly looked away but didn't miss the warm smile he gave her. A feeling of guilt and dismay washed over her as she thought about his reaction if she never showed up at the lake during lunch. Right. So what was it? Go meet Darwin and risk expulsion? Or play safe?

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

"Fifty bucks says she's expelled."

Alice whirled around.

"Sabrina," Alice clenched her teeth as she met the blue eyes of the blond perfection that was Sabrina Benson.

Sabrina smirked back at Alice. "So how's your friend? Too bad she won't be around for long, Shira hates attitude."

Alice scowled at Sabrina as she finished tossing the her costume back into the closet. Class had ended a few minutes ago and Sabrina hadn't hesitated to throw a few insults her way the entire class.

"At least Vivian wasn't expelled in front of the entire academy like the beta Rebecca is," Alice fired back, "As if anyone would even expel Vivian, she's ten-times the alpha _you_ are."

"The ice-skater?" scoffed Sabrina, "Puh-lease."

"Gawd, are we on this topic again?" another voice came from behind a rack of clothes. Marin Perez's unmistakable dark hair stood out from the pastel dresses. She walked over to Sabrina and Alice before sitting down next to Sabrina and shaking her dark hair out of the braid that she had twisted her hair in. "Sabrina, you're just mad that the skater girl beat you to the first party. Get over it, chica." She shrugged.

Alice smiled. So Marin wasn't a total Sabrina Benson minion.

"Shut up, Marin. She's going to be kicked home anyways, hopefully along with _this_ wannabe-loser over here," Sabrina jerked a thumb at Alice.

"Don't you _dare_ call me a wannabe-loser!" Alice leapt up from her seat and glared at Sabrina.

"I'm not calling you any names," Sabrina smirked, "I'm just stating a fact."

Alice's marine blue eyes narrowed in anger. Sabrina Benson had to go. But her anger and revenge would have to wait until later. Maybe Vivian could throw another party and kick Sabrina to wherever the hell she came from? Swallowing back the retorts and anger that bubbled up to the surface, Alice merely gave Sabrina cold look before turning her back on her. _Breathe in. Breathe out. Don't let her get to you. She's not worth it. _

"Oh please," Alice said, "I'm the farthest thing from a loser _or_ a wannabe."

Stalking outside and relishing the cool air and freedom from the confining studio, Alice finger-swept the bangs out of her eyes as her feet crunched on the pebbly path on her way from the Eris Studio. She liked Alpha Academy. It was pretty, beautiful and sunny here. Yet, behind its paradisaic exterior, a world of backstabbing, competition and rivalries ran rampage on the sunny beaches of Alpha Island. It was like a movie, thought Alice, reflectively. In a movie, a girl might play the part of a sweet innocent girl while in real life, she was a pure b*tch. Sabrina Benson was the perfect example. Lost in thought, Alice didn't notice where she was going until she ran smack right into a body standing in front of her.

"Sorry!" she cried and spun around to see who she had almost knocked over. Her marine blue eyes widened when they met the steady gaze of Sydney Brazille. "Oh. Um. Hi." she said awkwardly.

"Sydney, right?" Alice asked. She didn't know much about Sydney Brazille. All she knew was that he was the youngest Brazille and wasn't in the tabloids as much as his brothers. Oh, and he was poetic and artsy. Like a shyer, nerdier, geekier, more sensitive version of Darwin. She gaze roamed over his plain grey sweater, dark jeans and worn sneakers and nerd-esque glasses.

"You're Alice?" he asked. Alice felt a bit uncomfortable under his intense gaze.

"Yeah," she said simply. She didn't really have much of an interest in Sydney. She was more interested in Mel, who had almost everything in common with her. He liked acting. She liked acting. He had modeled before. She wished she was a model. Sydney, however, was just a quiet guy. She'd most likely never look at him as something more than friends.

His lips broke into a smile, "I've heard about you. You're really talented, you know." he added.

"Um, thanks?" Alice said it like a question. She was slighty unsure about his flattery. Yeah, it was nice but it still felt a bit weird.

"So did you go to the party last night?" she didn't really remember seeing him but figured that if the whole academy was there, he was probably lurking around in some corner.

"No. I'm not much of party person," Sydney smiled, revealing a row of perfect white teeth.

Alice tilted her head to the side. "Darwin was there, and he didn't really seem like a party person. So why didn't you go? The punch was pretty good," she flashed him a smile. Easy conversation, that was something that she was good at. Striking up conversations in awkward situations was one of Alice's specialties. It was like acting, coming up with a quick improv scene. Alice always liked acting. Ever since she had first snagged the lead role, Dorothy, in her school musical, The Wiz, she had fallen in love with the stage. She loved the directing, the acting, the cuts and the entire _production_ feeling of it all. Acting was like stepping into someone else's shoes and seeing the world in their point of view. It was pretty cool.

She smiled back at Sydney. "Parties aren't always everything," she shrugged. "You just missed out on some really good punch and a crazy game of freeze-tag with Taz and Vivian."

"Vivian's the girl who almost got expelled, right? The ice-skater," he asked.

"Yeah, that's her. But she's not going to get expelled." Alice's voice turned hard with conviction.

"She won't," Sydney reassured her. "Taz and Dingo like her too much for Mom to expel her. Apparently "someone has to throw the parties around here" and provide fun for us all," Sydney quoted his brothers. "They like her 'cause she's fun and throws parties."

Alice smiled. Fun and throws parties. Those words described Vivian perfectly. No matter how Vivian made her skating seem like the world, Alice knew that under Vivian's determination, Vivian was just another teenage girl who loved to party and have fun.

"Really?" she asked.

"Why don't you text her and ask her where she is?" Sydney suggested. "Mom won't confiscate her aPod."

_Oh!_ Alice smacked herself in the forehead. "Why didn't I think of that? You're a genius, Syd." She whipped her aPod out of her pocket and shot a quick message off to Vivian. Turning back to Sydney, she gave him a genuine smile. "Thanks."

"No problem," he smiled sweetly at her. "I've got to go now, Mom wants to talk to me, but see you later!" he waved as he walked off.

He was a nice kid, thought Alice. Nice, friendly, just a generally nice guy.

She turned away from the retreating figure of Sydney and continued on her path on the way to the Pavilion for lunch. Strolling along the path besides the beach seemed like a thoughtful thinking moment to Alice. She reflected on her arrival and last few days at Alpha Academy as her bare feet made size seven foot prints in the soft sand of the Rainbow Coral Beach. She had unstrapped her sandals a while ago and now they swung by their straps in her left hand. Skipping nutrition for the day, she slid down and leaned her back against a palm tree as her marine blue eyes gazed out at the sparkling sea - a color that matched her eyes perfectly.

Tilting her head back, she ran over the past events of Alpha Academy. It was barely the third day and a girl had been expelled. Time seemed to just rush past here at Alpha Island, like everything was on fast-forward and a day without drama was like peanut butter without jelly. Pointless. She wished that there would be some semblance of peace.

Back home, Alice had always been the best. The best teen actress in all of Britain. The most talented girl, the prettiest, the most successful and envied girl in the entire country. But now she wasn't the same girl as before. Pre-alphas Alice wasn't up to par with Shira Brazille and Rosaline's demands. If she wanted to win, she would need to start stepping it up and kicking some actresses' butts, particularly one named Sabrina Benson. It wasn't that easy though. Alice had gotten so used to being the top and best that she barely had any memory of having to compete for anything. She was born into a family with money and influence, she starred in commercials and movies since she was baby and grew along with the movies, starring in every movie that she could and as many as would fit her time schedule. She played the roles of a baby, a toddler, a little kid and become the best teenage actress at the age of thirteen. But now, she had Sabrina, Delphi, Marin and other girls to compete with. Especially the blonde bitch from hell named Sabrina. With that golden-blond hair that Rapunzel could only dream of and big sky-blue eyes that had more sparkle than aquamarines, Sabrina was a walking Barbie doll with diva attitude. The poster-girl and stereotype of actresses.

But Alice wasn't going to stand for that. She didn't earn her spot at Alpha Academy by mere talent, she had determination and ambition and Sabrina Benson wasn't going to steal her spot just like that. She straightened up from her seat at the base of the palm tree and walked over to the water's edge, her feet sinking in the soft sand and making footprints in the wet sand where the water lapped at her bare-feet. Her baby pink painted toes feet shimmered slightly in the light – she had borrowed Vivian's nail polish the night before – and she admired the color.

Picking up and flat smooth rock from the beach, she remembered the times that she had skipped rocks on the cold, wet, rainy shores of London. No matter what the weather, Alice would always find time to go skip rocks at the beach. It might have been unproductive but it took her mind off the drama on the set. Her mother had taught her how to skip rocks before she became caught up in a new dance company and moved off from Alice. It was one of the few memories Alice had of her mother, before she grew distant and she clung to that memory.

_If you get the rock to skip ten times, you're granted a wish._

Her mother's voice echoed in her head and she remembered standing on a rock at her tiny stance when she was seven and staring out at the sea. Weighing the rock in her palm, she hesitated for a brief second before tossing it out to the sea.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. It plopped one last time and sank underneath the surface.

A tiny victorious smile tilted up the corners of Alice's lips. A feeling of accomplishment and success washed over her and it brought her a small wave of happiness to lighten her mood. Fixing her gaze on the spot where her rock sank, she made her wish.

_I wish….that I would become the best actress of Alpha Academy and somehow get to know my family more. _

_And one more tiny thing? I wish that Vivian wouldn't get expelled._

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

**Ali: **Where are you?

**Reid:** Are you ok? Shira can't be that mean…..

**Ali: **Text me once your sprung!

**Summer: **Is Shira expelling you? Text us back!

**Alice:** Where are you? Text us once your away from Shira!

**Ali: **Vivian? Answer your aPod please!

**Summer: **The Michelle Obamas hate you, btw. Screw them. Are you done with Shira?

**Ali: **Is it scary there? Come on, Viv. Questioning doesn't take that long!

**Tammie:** Why did you confess? She had NO proof! No cameras! Ugh! Want me to break you out? Jk (:

**Reid: **We're at Nutrition, are you coming?

**Dannie: **Where are you? Class is over and she's _still_ talking?

**Alice: **Text us back!

**Ali: **My gawd, did your aPod break?

**Reid: **You sure you're ok? Hope she doesn't expel you!

**Dannie: **Skating sucked without you. ): Suzanne's been showing off since you weren't there to show her up.

* * *

Vivian breathed a sigh of relief as she walked out of Shira's office. With a threat to expel her, a warning for future parties and a pat on the head, Shira had released Vivian without another word. Stating her disappointment in the fact that Vivian had broken the rules on her first day, Shira had expressed her displeasure while Vivian maintained her slightly regretful expression. But following up with a comment on how she was surprise that Vivian had pulled it off, Shira conceded to let Vivian stay. Only because she had shown her alpha potential first as a skater and second as a ringleader and a party-thrower. However, for punishment for breaking the rules, Vivian had to miss out on her next two spa sessions and had the task of driving the Zamboni to smooth the ice. Thank god she had learned to drive it back when she had a brief fling with the Zamboni driver back at the Colorado Springs Skating Center.

She had been expecting a lot worse. From Shira's unyielding expressions and cold triumph when expelling Rebecca, Vivian had expected to be dealt with a lot more harshly. But she wasn't one to compain. She took the punishment and promised to stop her party-girl attitude - while crossing her toes - and was released from the prison of Shira's office. Shira Brazille might be the ultimate alpha female and owner of Brazille Enterprises but she was still an authority figure, and Vivian Dresden rarely ever listened to authority figures.

She slid her aPod out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. _15 new messages. _She quickly opened up a new message and quickly sent out a vague reply to everyone.

**Vivian: **I'm not expelled (:

Shoving aPod back into the pocket of her blazer, she turned away from the path towards the Pavilion and instead moved off towards the Tree House which was besides the Fuselage - the Alpha Writers' classroom. Shuttling off another message to Ali, she yanked her hair out of her high ponytail and shook it out. The sea breeze from the ocean blew past her face, ruffling her hair as she walked along the path.

When she arrived at the Tree House, she climbed up the rope ladder nimbly and tossed herself down on one of the couches that were scattered around the small wooden block-shaped tree house. A hammock swung gently in the breeze on the deck of the tree house and a glossy black telescope was set up in a perfect position to view the stars at night. Inside, eight comfy couches decorated the interior along with a rounded coffee table and a bookshelf. Vivian had decided to skip the Nutrition to find some peace and quiet away from the drama of Alpha Academy.

"Oh. My. Gawd! Spill! Did Shira scream at you? Yell at you? Threaten you? Did you mention any other names? Are you in trouble? At least your not expelled! Ohmygod the Michelle Obamas totally hate you now, especially that one blonde, Sabrina."

Vivian straightened up from her lazy recline on the couch and met Ali's bright green eyes that were sparking with interest.

"Hey, Ali!"

"Spill," ordered Ali, throwing herself into another couch across from Vivian.

"Well, what do you want to know?" Vivian evaded the general question and looked at Ali expectantly.

"Everything!" Ali pouted impatiently and stuck her hands on her hips as she mock-glared at Vivian.

"Like what?" Vivian smirked, "My god, you act like I went out on a date instead of almost being expelled!"

"Fine, was Shira mad?" Ali said.

"Nope," Vivian popped the P. "Well, if she was, she didn't make it obvious."

Ali paused as she considered this, and then she followed up with another question. "Did she give you detention or something?"

"I get to smooth the ice every morning, and I can't go to the Taylor Swift spa sessions. Aren't we booked for tomorrow or something?"

"Smooth the ice?" Ali's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"With the Zamboni," Vivian explained simply.

Ali nodded slowly, pretending she knew what Vivian was talking about. She figured that it had something to do with ice-skating.

"So...what's with you and Taz at the party yesterday?"

"What's with you and Dingo at the party yesterday?" Vivian smiled slyly.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

**Darwin: **Where are you? Are you coming?

**Darwin: **Waiting by the lake :)

Reid stared the screen of her aPod trying to choose. Meet Darwin? Stick with Summer and Alice? Go with her heart? Or her brain? Take a risk? Or play safe?

Watching the colorful aluminum butterflies flutter by, she made her decision. She just hoped it was the right one.

* * *

** Reviews make me happy! PM with plot ideas if you want :) or if you just have a few suggestions. I have the general plot planned out to the end...but some in-between drama and sub-plots would help, a lot! **

**I don't have a beta so all the mistakes are mine.**

**-The Lovely Psyche**


	8. Chapter 8

**So, my best friend introduced me to the wonders of k-pop and…..I'm hooked.**

* * *

**New favorite songs!**

**Lightless by B2ST**

**Perfect for You by SNSD**

**Both have been added to my GrooveShark and I can listen to them on loop for **_**hours.**_** I would post up the lyrics…but I haven't gotten around to learning Korean – yet. ): Shame. Anyways! On with the chapter! ****Enjoy!**

* * *

**You think I'm pretty without any makeup on,**

**You think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong**

**I know you get me, so I let my walls come down, down.**

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT  
**

Reid lay in bed, watching as the red digits turned from 4:29 to 4:30 and Vivian's aPod lit up, vibrating on the nightstand besides Vivian. Reid hadn't been able to sleep that night, she had shrunk back and fled to class twenty minutes before lunch ended. After Shira's horrifying message, Rebecca's thunderous expulsions and Vivian's predicament yesterday, she had chickened out and switched her aPod off for the rest of the day – hoping to not receive any messages from Darwin. After all, this was better…right? To be at the same school with him – even if they barely talked – than to spend a lunch with him and then get herself kicked miles away. She'd never see him again if she got caught. So play it safe. Right?

She still wasn't sure. She had finally dared to turn her aPod back on at midnight and closed her eyes before deleting all the messages in her inbox. She didn't think she could handle any questioning messages from Darwin. She had spent the entire night stressing over it and not being able to sleep – at all. Finally giving up after counting over seven-hundred, eighty-four sheep, reciting the alphabet backwards at top speed, whispering Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in Spanish, and completing her art project that wasn't due in a week, she had simply stared blankly up at the stars for the rest of the very long night. She blinked again at the digital clock. 4:30 AM. Vivian's aPod was still vibrating insistently and Reid wondered if she should just get up and wake Vivian herself.

In precisely two seconds, Vivian's hand shot out from beneath her mess of blankets and yanked her aPod off the nightstand.

"Oh, shut up," grumbled Vivian to her aPod as she switched off the alarm and tossed it onto her pillow. She straightened up and caught sight of Reid's open eyes.

"Someone's up early," Vivian commented.

Reid shrugged. She wasn't about to say, _Oh yeah, I just ended up thinking about Darwin the whole night and did I mention I chickened out and didn't meet him?_

"Yeah," Reid said simply, "Couldn't sleep."

"Well, at least you don't have to get your ass up at four freaking thirty to smooth the ice at the rink," Vivian shimmied off her bed and grabbed a few clothes from her closet before stripping out of her PJs and sliding on a violet skating dress and zipping up a navy hoodie over it. Snatching up a black hair elastic she headed out the door.

"Hey, want to come? You look kinda…..depressed," Vivian asked.

Reid hesitated for half a second.

"Sure!" She was up for anything that would take her mind of Darwin even if it was just for a brief morning.

Vivian gave Reid a brilliant smile and headed out into the cold crisp air of the morning with Reid following behind.

"So Shira made you clean the rink every day for punishment?" Reid asked. Vivian had told the rest of the Taylor Swifts what happened between her and Shira last night but Reid had only understood a part of it. What _was_ a Zama-something anyways?

"Mhm," Vivian nodded as they took the path towards the Amphitrite Rink. "Smooth the ice every morning with the Zamboni, stay away from Taz, lay off on the parties, no spa sessions and I have to land my triple flip by October."

Reid nodded while biting her lip as she followed Vivian's clear strap gladiator sandals. Why why why why why _why _did just by looking at colorful flowers reminded her of art which in turn reminded her of Darwin?

She just couldn't get him out of her head, couldn't she?

"So what's going on between you and Darwin anyways?" Vivian asked as if she had read Reid's mind. "You two looked pretty cozy at the party."

"Uh-um," Reid stalled as Vivian inserted a gold card into the slot of the glass double doors of the Amphitrite Rink to unlock it.

"Well, we're just – friendly," Reid managed to choke out. "Yeah, friendly. Friends. Like friendly friends."

_Oh god._ She could have smacked herself in the forehead. Friendly friends? She knew she always had a tendency to babble like an idiot when under pressure but that was ridiculous. How more retarded could she get? _At least it was Vivian. Not Darwin. _And Darwin just had to pop up in her mind again, didn't he?

"Friendly friends?" Vivian raised an amused eyebrow at Reid while the corners of her lips curved up in a smile. "Just keep telling yourself that, girl." She pushed down on the gold handle of the glass doors and let it swing open with a click.

Reid slid through the doors and paused in the bleachers. Without the extra flashing lights, the decorations, the blasting music, the partying alphas, the rink looked huge, empty and oddly scary. A few clicks let bright white light flash and light up the entire rink. From Reid's point of view, it was at _least_ Olympic-sized – unless it was bigger. Light reflected off the gleaming surface of the ice and a simple water dispenser near the door where Reid stood. Instead of the basic plastic bleachers, they were a shining gold and snack bar lined the right wall on the far off side – stacked with healthy snacks, of course.

"Want to learn how to drive the Zamboni?" Vivian's voice called out from the other side of the rink. Reid's brown eyes grew huge. Vivian's dark hair was barely visible on the top of a gigantic vehicle – which looked like a street sweeper truck to Reid. Wait. _Drive_ it?

"Drive the – what?' Reid shouted back.

"The Zamboni!" Vivian yelled back from across the rink laughingly. "Come on!"

Vivian's enthusiasm was contagious. Reid hurried over to the other side of the rink and stepped onto the ice besides the machine and stare up. "How am I supposed to get up there?"

She stared up at the monstrous bright gold and silver machine. Even the Zamboni was shiny gold here. Looking like a huge shiny street sweeper, the Zamboni stood at the edge of the ice with Vivian handling it expertly.

"No street shoes on the ice!" Vivian called down. "But since I'm smoothing it anyways, it doesn't really matter. Climb up!"

Reid's wide brown eyes grew huge and she only hesitated for a brief second before grabbing onto the silver ladder and hauling herself up to sit beside Vivian. The two girls were both skinny enough to let them fit on the velvet seat that was made for one person.

She watched in slight disbelief as Vivian handled the Zamboni with the confidence and calmness of a professional. _Where did she learn to drive that thing?_

"I dated a guy who's brother was the Zamboni driver," Vivian answered. Reid must have spoken that thought aloud. "Besides, my sister's boyfriend is all into cars and bikes so I learn a thing or two about it."

Vivian drove the Zamboni carefully and slowly across the smooth surface of the ice, leaving a wide trail of freshly smoothened ice behind the Zamboni. Reid shook her head in amazement. Just a few months ago in May, she had been stuck in boring old math class while her teacher droned on and on. Now, she was on top of a Zamboni with a girl who was destined to win the Olympics. It was crazy. Alpha Academy was crazy.

"So…..wanna tell me about what was bothering you this morning?" Vivian glanced over at Reid. "I'm not buying that "friendly friends" thing about you and Darwin. Come on, girl. Spill." She turned the wheel of the Zamboni slowly to the right and let it glide forward.

"I…..," Reid had no idea what to say. Spill her guts about everything? Confessing to a friend would feel so much better – but she didn't really know Vivian that well.

"Yeah?" Vivian waited for Reid to continue.

"You know how we talked at the skating party, right?" Reid paused, unsure where to start.

"Oooooh yes. You two definitely looked cozy," Vivian smiled slyly, making Reid blush in slight embarrassment.

"We were talking about art and he asked me to meet him by the lake the next day," Reid explained ducking her head and waiting for the inevitable _Ohmuhgod!_

She didn't have to wait long. Vivian's dark eyes grew huge and her mouth opened in slight amazement. "OhmuhGOD! No way! He asked you out!"

"Um, yeah," Reid looked over at Vivian.

"So what's the biggie? You didn't have fun? No chemistry?"

"I….didn't go," Reid cough-confessed.

"You what?" Vivian jerked her gaze off the ice and turned to face Reid. Dark eyes bore into the chocolate brown ones. "_Why?"_

"I was scared of Shira! I didn't want to get expelled," Reid burst out, her emotions getting the better of her. "I mean, if I got kicked out – I'd never see Darwin again!"

Vivian looked at Reid in silence, contemplating Reid's dilemma. "You should expain, though" Vivian said quietly. "To him."

"I know," Reid nodded. "But…..I'm – scared, I guess," she said in a soft voice.

Vivian nodded slowly. "Explaining things are always hard," she agreed. "Twenty questions?" she suggested lightly to break the quietness. She turned the wheel of the Zamboni again making the turn as they reached the end of the rink.

A bright smile lit up Reid's face. "Ok, favorite color?"

"Purple," Vivian answered immediately. "You?"

"Yellow," Reid answered. "First crush?"

"Javier Ramirez," Vivian shrugged, "Hockey player. You?"

"Uhm. Darwin, actually," Reid admitted. "But it was more of a celebrity crush."

"Really? That's so cute! It's like fate," Vivian laughed. "Best friend?"

"Ally Lane, we were kind of geeky back then," Reid said with a slight smile.

"Really? I would never have guessed," Vivian tilted her head to the side as she regarded Reid. "You would look really different in glasses…."

"Oh I did. My yearbooks pictures were disasters," Reid laughed. It was way easier to get along with Vivian that she had expected. Vivian wasn't as intimidating as she seemed. The pretty, cool, partying ice-skater was just a regular girl like Reid and everyone else. "Who was your best friend?"

"Meggie Chang," Vivian replied promptly. "In five years we're going to be on the USA Olympic figure-skating team and fighting each other for the gold." She sounded assured and confident in that fact.

"So she's an ice-skater like you?" Reid asked.

"Yeah, but she's a goody-goody like you," Vivian smirked back.

Reid laughed easily. "Any sisters?"

"Karolyn Dresden, age 19. Model. Dancer. Cheerleader," Vivian smiled proudly. Of course Vivian would have a glamorous older sister. Glamour and beauty seemed to run in families, thought Reid wryly.

"Lucky you," Reid said in slight envy. She had always wanted an older sister to gossip with, to paint her nails and the whole sister bonding experience. But she had always been the only child.

"You don't have a sibling?" asked Vivian as she turned the Zamboni again, letting it glide close to the rink's edge. It was definitely something different. Usually, Reid would have been talking to her old BFF Ally during a sleepover and here she was, chatting with Vivian while sitting on top of a gigantic Zamboni

"I wish," Reid sighed. "Craziest thing you've ever done?"

"Party-crashed the high school's varsity hockey team's party in eighth grade and lip-kissed a really hot sophomore guy," Vivian giggled.

Reid's eyes grew huge. "You crashed a party? Crazy!"

"That's the whole point. Craziest thing you ever did?"

"Coming to Alpha Academy?" Reid said it like a question. "That sounded lame compared to you."

Vivian tossed her head back and her silvery laugh rang out through the rink. "Ever dyed your hair?"

"Nope, you?"

"Yep," she smiled "A hot pink streak that lasted for an entire year. That was back in eighth grade. Meggie thought I was crazy but Jamie went along with it and got a bright neon green streak and Andie got a purple streak in her hair, then we convinced Meggie to put an electric blue streak in her hair. It was crazy." She shook her head and laughed.

Vivian finished driving the Zamboni over the entire surface of the ice and drove it carefully back into the storage room besides the rink before turning it off and hopping off.

"Come on, down!" she called up as Reid slid down carefully.

They hopped over the railing and onto the bleachers, being careful not to step on the freshly smoothened ice. Back at the bleachers, Reid watched as Vivian kicked off her sandals and slid her feet into the ice skates before snapping the skate guards off.

"Hey, I need to go back to the house to change and ask Hazel something, okay?" Reid asked.

"Yeah, sure," Vivian nodded vaguely. Reid quickly understood that when Vivian's skates were on and she was on the ice, there was nothing else besides herself and the ice. She wouldn't want to break Vivian's concentration.

"Bye!" Reid called out as she headed towards the glass double doors of the rink. The last thing she saw before leaving was Vivian gliding out onto the ice and building up speed as she speed-skated around the perimeter of the rink to warm-up. Her long dark hair was loose and flew out besides her and the violet skirt of her skating dress was visible underneath her navy hoodie.

Talking with Vivian had made Reid feel a whole lot better. Not only did she get to know her roommate more, there must have been something about chatting that makes girls feel better. Was it some kind of scientific discovery? Whatever it was, she was glad she had gone to the rink with Vivian Dresden this morning. Walking back towards the Taylor Swift house with a new spring in her step and some sparkle in her eyes, she resolved to make up things with Darwin and somehow find a way to explain to him about her no-show yesterday.

Now, if only that was as easy as it sounded.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

"I heard that Vivian Dresden paid Shira a hundred million dollars to let her stay,"

"Sabrina said that Vivian's been expelled!"

"No, Rebecca threatened to sue Vivian for spraining her ankle!"

"Whatevs, Rebacca was such a beta,"

"At least the party was fun,"

"Puh-lease, like you even skated!"

"Why does Taz even like Vivian? She's not even that pretty!"

The last comment was from Sara Wilkes. A girl with a major in modeling and a Sabrina Benson follower.

Ali rolled her eyes as the Michelle Obama girls gossiped about Vivian a few feet away from her as she browsed through the racks of Sparklicious, one of the cute boutiques at Alpha Academy. She had received her first progress report – Alpha Academy styled, of course – and had gotten enough A's to buy herself some new cute outfits. After all, just because she had to wear uniform during class hours didn't mean that she couldn't wear other outfits any other time. Since Shira had threatened Vivian, Vivian had been a skating machine, spending her entire day at the rink and would rather have an individual session at the rink with some robotic skating machine that analyzed her movements instead of coming to shop with Ali.

She had asked Summer to hang out with her after classes but the blonde singer had been struck with inspiration for a new song. She had no idea where Alice was but assumed that the actress wouldn't have liked another Sabrina Benson run-in. Alice had gone into the lunch strangely quiet and when Ali asked about her acting class with Class-A biatch, Sabrina, Alice had said nothing except for "Sabrina's never going to win."

Reid had rushed off to the lake after lunch muttering something about "explaining" and Ali had just looked on in confusion as the rather quiet girl fled out of the Pavilion like the rabbit in Alice In Wonderland who always happened to be late.

Ali flipped through racks of silver and shimmery gray mini dresses before giving up and moving off to the mini skirt selection. Sparklicious was known for its sparkly apparel and sequined tops. Vivian had sported the new peacock blue sequined skating dress this morning for her skating class and had suggested the small boutique to Ali if Ali ever needed something cute and sparkly. Deciding on a copper shimmery babydoll top and a pair of kitten heels with the straps encrusted with gold dust, she moved over to the silver machine that bore a striking resemblance to an ATM machine. She inserted her gold Alpha Academy ID card and scanned her two purchases before the machine spat out her card and her receipt slid out from the slot.

"Can you, like, hurry up?" a girl behind Ali tapped her foot impatiently.

Ali slid her card and receipt back into her pocket and turned to face Isabelle Martin, a Michelle Obama with an Alpha Track in art. Ever since Rebecca had been expelled, the Michelle Obamas – led by Sabrina Benson – had been nothing but nasty towards the Taylor Swifts. Even Gwen, an alpha girl with an Alpha Track in writing had been rather cool towards Summer.

"Can you, like, just not talk to me, like, yeah?" Ali mimicked Isabelle's nasally voice as she glared at her. Ever since the night of Vivian's party, Isabelle had been hanging all over Dingo like an unwanted piece of dirty laundry. It had annoyed the heck out of Ali especially when Isabelle had giggled every five seconds behind her hand in that disgustingly high-pitched nasally tone of hers.

"Oh shut it, Ryan," snapped a voice from behind Isabelle. Sabrina Benson emerged from behind the racks with her arm full of clothes and pushed her way over to the check-out machine. _Why did that girl always have to show up?_

"Shut yourself, Benson," shot back Ali as she walked right out the door. She didn't need to deal with Sabrina right now. Isabelle Martin was enough. She had immediately hated that girl since the skating party. The way that Isabelle had hung all over Dingo was –

"Ugh!" she vented in frustration as boarded the bubble train back to the Taylor Swift house to dump her new clothes in her wardrobe.

"Bad day?"

Ali spun around so fast she nearly banged her head on the ceiling of the bubble train. As luck would have it, it was Dingo Brazille himself in the compartment with her. With his mischievous eyes and joking grin intact.

"Well, you don't want to make it any worse, do you?" Ali's face relaxed into a smile as she faced Dingo's cheerful face. There was no way that boy was ever unhappy.

"Course not, m'dear," Dingo faked a ridiculous accent which made Ali break into a light laugh. "What's up?"

"A blue sky," answered Ali in mock seriousness.

Dingo grinned. "Really? I hadn't noticed. Last time I checked, it was green. Maybe the sky-coloring machine turned out wrong,"

"A sky-coloring machine," Ali raised an eyebrow. The train lurched forward and began moving forward.

"You haven't heard? It's the newest invention to hit Brazille Enterprises. I'm going to be the new Thomas Edith! Turns the sky neon green as well as hot pink."

"You mean Thomas Edison?"

"Same thing. The light bulb dude," he shrugged. "Whatever the inventor muse said."

"You take inventing?"

"How else would I come up with those incredibly brilliant ideas for pranks without my trusty machine of horrors?"

Ali hoped that he really was kidding.

She tucked a strand of light brown hair behind her ears and her green eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Well, you could always dig into your trusty encyclopedia of terror," she flipped her hair over her shoulder carelessly. Was she flirting with Dingo? _Nahh, more like just talking, _she thought.

"Ugh. Reading. There is no _way_ you'd get me to read," Dingo made a face of disgust, "Only Sydney and Darwin actually read."

"Nice to know," Ali smiled as the bubble train slid to a smooth stop at the Residences. "See you around!" she flashed him her brightest and most charming smile before hopping out of the train and heading down the pebble stone path without a backward glance.

Swinging the door open, Ali slipped into the Taylor Swift house to find Vivian collapsed against the couch with her skating bag discarded by her feet and an exhausted look on her face. No wonder, the girl had been skating in circles the entire day at the rink with only a short break for food and water.

"Hey," said Ali cheerfully.

"Hi," Vivian sat up and smiled at Ali, "Someone's in a good mood today."

Ali merely grinned. "Let's say I had a good day,"

"Just a good day? No run-ins with a certain Brazille boy?"

"How did you know?" Ali laughed.

"I'm psychic," Vivian yawned and threw her head back onto a pillow in the couch.

"And dead tired, too," added Ali. "Did Tori work you too hard?"

Vivian threw an arm over her face and groaned. "No. The stupid training machine did." Even after class, Vivian had been excused from Spotlight Training and all those other classes with the excuse that Shira had ordered her to work on her skating. She was bruised all over from falling multiple times from the triple flip jump that she been attempting. Vivian had always been incredible with her spins, spiral sequences and artistry but when it came to triples – that was when she needed to stop falling on her ass.

Ali nodded in sympathy. She knew what it was like to push herself to the limit. She had spent her entire life riding and racing herself as well as Eli just to win a simple gold medal. It sucked butt during the entire training process but she knew that the one thing that set herself and Vivian apart from the losers was the fact that they had worked themselves nearly to death just to achieve a simple jump or shave off a mere half a second on the time.

Ali had spent the entire morning with yoga in the Zen center improving her overall physique just to get a better form when riding. Also, the fact that she hadn't eaten anything with more calories than a granola bar had to factor into the list of things she had given up. After all, Ali and Vivian practically lived on vegetables and salad. She had been desperately craving gummy worms ever since second grade.

"So spill. What's up with you and Mr. Dingo Brazille?"

Ali smiled despite herself. Thinking about Dingo's cheerful personality, good-natured attitude and jokester personality always made her smile. He was like a cheery pill for her – always able to make her smile and laugh no matter how horrible her day was. Exhibit A: today.

"He's fun," she said.

"Just fun? No swooning about his dashing good-looks or anything?" Vivian smirked.

"Fine!" Ali threw up her hands. "He's funny, hot, cool, hot, nice, hot, cheerful and did I say he was hot?"

"Only about a few hundred times," Vivian said nonchalantly while trying to suppress her laughter.

"Shut up!" Ali laughed and threw a pillow at Vivian who ducked to dodge it. She sat down cross-legged on the rug and glanced up at Vivian.

"So….. I wonder if Alpha Academy has anything like winter break," Vivian said thoughtfully. "I kinda miss Colorado." She glanced out the window wistfully.

"Winter break?" Ali frowned in thought. "I'm not sure, would Shira even let us leave the island?"

"No idea," shrugged Vivian.

Vivian would never admit it but she desperately missed Colorado Springs, she missed her old friends like crazy and would give almost anything to skate with Meggie again and hear the criticisms of Natalyia as well as the cheering of Andie and Jamie during Regionals, or even screaming for Meggie when she won the gold at Lake Placid.

She frowned to herself. She really needed to stop missing home like a little girl and get used to Alpha Academy. Wishing and dreaming would never get her anywhere. Neither would missing her past. She simply been messing around and having fun during the first few days of school. Now, it was time to get serious, like the warm-up before a competition. Time to take down the competition and win. Suck it up and skate through her life just like another program.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

**From: **Reid Dame

**To: **Tammie Duong

**Subject: **A favor

Hey, um it's Reid Dame, Vivian's roommate. I was wondering if you could somehow disable the cameras near the lake for at least two hours? Please?

-Reid Dame

* * *

**Reid:** Meet me by the lake? I need to explain.

**Darwin: **I'll be there

* * *

Reid hurried through the path as she made her way through the tropical forest to the lake in the heart of Alpha Island. She had found Vivian during Nutrition Break at the rink – where Vivian seemed to be spending her entire existence – and confessed her entire plan to talk to Darwin. She had begged for help and Vivian had suggest that she talk to Tammie Duong, the alpha with an Alpha Track in inventing, who had helped Vivian with the security cameras during the party. Lucky for Reid, Tammie was one of the nicest girls on the planet and easily agreed to switch off the cameras near the lake for her – on the condition that Reid would take all the blame if her plan somehow failed.

She needed to explain everything to Darwin, about how she had chickened out yesterday and left her waiting as well as all those unanswered messages on her aPod that had been sent straight into the trash without a single glance.

She broke through the tangle of plants, ferns and palm trees to an open area with a clear lake rippling in the sunlight. The sight of it nearly took her breath away. There was no beach, but smooth pebbles paved the shores of the lake and Reid could see the clear water lapping at the rocks the gentle early evening breeze caused the surface of the lake to ripple with the smallest waves. The sky was streaked orange and pink with the light of the setting sun. Most of the birds had quieted down and the majority of the alphas were at dinner in the Pavilion.

"Hey," a soft voice announced Darwin's entry. He met Reid's gaze as her emerged from the edge of the forest.

"Hi," Reid answered. She slid down and took a seat on the rock at the edge of the water, letting her bare feet dangle in the shallow water. "I needed to talk to you."

"Yeah, you kind of said that," Darwin's eyes gave nothing away. Reid had no idea whether he was angry at her no-show yesterday.

"I….I wanted to apologize," Reid's voice sounded different to her ears, her throat seemed to close and she fought the urge to run from the unwavering gaze. New Reid didn't run. New Reid wouldn't be scared. Channeling her inner Vivian Dresden, she met his gaze. "I wanted to explain why I didn't show up yesterday."

"Why didn't you show up yesterday?" Darwin asked in a steady tone. His face is expressionless and practically impossible to read. Even Reid – who had always had a thing for being able to read people's expressions – had a hard time deciphering Darwin's hard gaze.

"I – I – I was," Reid hesitated before gathering her guts, "I was a coward," she admitted. "I didn't want to get expelled for talking to you, you know that your mother forbid us from talking to you and the rest of your brothers."

"That's it?" Darwin asked. "You were afraid of my _mother_?"

"No!" Reid cried. "It's just…."

"Just what?" challenged Darwin.

Reid didn't reply. It was as if her lips had become glued together. She managed to open her mouth but no words came out.

"I get it," Darwin said. "You just don't want to get in trouble and ruin your entire good-girl reputation."

He turned away and started to walk away from Reid. _No!_ She needed to make him understand.

Reid's lips seemed to move of their own accord.

"Wait!"

"Yeah?" he raised an eyebrow. "There's nothing for you to say. I get it. You don't want to see me, you can't talk to me and you don't want to."

"If I got expelled I wouldn't be able to talk to you again! Isn't it easier if we were at the same school instead of me being kicked all the way back across the continent? At least we could still _see_ each other! It's not like I don't want to talk you!"

She tried desperately to make him understand. Even coming to talk to him was already a gigantic step for Reid. She never would have gotten the courage to talk to Darwin before Alpha Academy. She would have rushed home and wallowed in misery. She had never been the one for confrontations, but now, here she was yelling at Darwin to make him understand. Vivian and Ali would have been proud of her.

"Oh." Darwin's gaze softened slightly. "But my mom wouldn't expel you."

"Why not?"

"Because I won't let her," he said simply, like it was just a fact. He had no idea how warm he made Reid feel, no idea that Reid had gotten those feelings that screamed "cuhh-rushh!"

Reid blushed and looked down.

"Thanks," she said softly.

There was a beat of silence before she felt his arms wrap around her in a comforting hug. His cinnamon scented enveloped her and her insides were literally screaming "Oh. My. GODDD!"

They stood hugging each other for a few seconds before Reid broke away gently before her heart jumped out of her chest. They stood closely together for a few seconds for Darwin bent his head towards Reid.

_Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!_

Reid's eyes slid shut as she felt his soft pillowy lips press gently against hers. Ohmygod!

They stood there for a few seconds, with their arms wound tightly around each other and their lips pressed together. Their two shadows blended together as they stood silhouetted against the setting sun which seemed to dip right into the lake as it sank down in its descent.

Reid's insides were twisting with warmth and another feeling that she couldn't identify. Her first kiss! With Darwin Brazille! At Alpha Academy!

It was a picture perfect end to a day. She bonded with Vivian over twenty questions and a Zamboni and she made up with Darwin AND kissed him by the lake during the sunset. It was like a movie. She smiled up at him when they broke apart.

"I forgive you for making me wait," Darwin murmured as he traced Reid's lips with his finger. "I think it was worth it."

_Awwhhhh._

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

Ashley Bell swallowed hard as she watched Darwin kiss that girl from the Taylor Swift house, Reid Dame. Jealousy swarmed over her and stung like a swarm of anger bees that wouldn't go away. She had liked Darwin ever since she had first saw his picture in the tabloids and it killed her that Reid Dame, an insignificant girl who could barely say "Boo" to a bird had already won over his heart in a matter of days. It was so unfair.

And Reid? With her sweet innocent exterior, no one would have suspected that she was going behind Shira's back and lip-kissing one of her sons. It had been hard for Ashley to handle Reid's sugar-sweetness and innocent friendly outlook the entire, especially in art. Smiling fakely to the girl who had stolen her crush had made Ashley green with envy and red with anger like a freakco Christmas special the entire day. It was time to change Reid's perfect reputation and she had the perfect way.

She had seen Darwin walking through the forest a few minutes earlier and had ditched her painting to catch up and talk to him – and saw him locking lips with the Reid girl. She grabbed her aPod and tapped in Shira Brazille.

_Shira,_

_One of the Taylor Swift girls, Reid Dame was kissing Darwin today. And she had been texting him the entire day and they have been meeting each other in secret. _

_~Ashley Bell_

She held up a camera, snapped quick photo of Reid and Darwin for proof and sent it along with the message to Shira. Hopefully, Miss Reid Dame would be gone for good in a matter of days.

* * *

**Pretty pretty please,**

**Don't you ever feel,**

**Like you're less than,**

**F*ckin' perfect**

* * *

**Well? Thoughts? Comments? Ideas?**

**Review! Come on guys! Let's hit 40!**

**Come on! If you've been reading this all the way since the first chapter, you can't just NOT review! Just five minutes of typing up simple feedback that will make my day? Come on, I KNOW, you've been reading. So review!**

* * *

**Can you believe the entire story has around 40,000 words already? OhMyGosh!**

**As for Reid and Darwin, well I basically suck at writing that lovely mushy stuff...so um. Yeah. Criticisms? **

**Oh and one little question, should Alpha Academy have a winter break where the alpha girls get a chance to go home? I'm really not sure, since Lisi Harrison hasn't gotten that far in her own series….**

* * *

**I don't have a beta so all the mistakes are mine. **

**-The Lovely Psyche**


	9. Chapter 9

**Alright, not only did we hit 40 reviews, we went OVER! WOOO! Alright, this chapter is specially dedicated to a writer who has not only reviewed EVERY SINGLE chapter right after I posted them, she's given me crazy amounts of feedback and almost an entire playlist of songs (some which have become my faves!). So this chapter is specially written for The Bloodiest Rose!**

**One more thing! Ever heard the song Valentine by Kina Grannis? The music video is completely ADORABLE! Love it! (:**

**Now let's this story moving! **

* * *

**She's one of those girls, nothing but trouble,**

**Just one look and now you're seeing double,**

**Before you know it, she'll be gone,**

**Off to the next one**

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

The next two weeks passed in a colorful blur of colors to Reid, she floated through her painting class and passed her first graded project with a giant gold A stamped over her rubric and secretly met up with Darwin every sunset each evening. The lake had become their secret place and sunsets easily became Reid's favorite setting – with orange and pink as her new favorite colors of course. The girls had settled into the steady yet rigorous schedule of classes and their transition phase into Alpha Academy had been fairly smooth. No talk of parties had been broached and not a single girl had gotten expelled – yet.

Alice had seemed to have toughened up and had ignored Sabrina Benson while focusing her entire energy on acting, Shakespearian dramas and accents that seemed to change every few days. Reid hadn't heard a single complaint about Sabrina for the entire week. Reid had helped Alice with memorizing her newest role in Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors and Alice had paced back and forth on the patio of the Taylor Swift house trying to get down the flowery poetic language of Shakespeare and deliver it with as much gusto as she could muster.

Ali had bragged about her newest time on the track for days until Vivian had kindly told her to "please shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you". Like Vivian, Ali had been focused on her riding a lot seriously and spent the majority of her time in her copper jodhpurs on her beloved horse, Eli. And if she wasn't, she was found in the heart of the Atlanta Gym, improving her own stamina and physical strength. Determination and toughness radiated out of Ali daily and Reid was pretty sure that there was no way it would be possible for Ali and Eli to ever lose a race.

Summer had been absorbed in her lyrics the majority of the time, spending hours curled up on a couch in Tree House or the Fuselage. Reid was pretty sure that Summer would be churning out an album of hit songs in the next few weeks. While Reid didn't know much about writing songs, she had to admit that even Summer's impeccably perfect pale blonde hair had been twisted into a messy bun all the time and her navy eyes were always intent on her lyrics while her pink lips formed the words of the song. Even Summer hummed in her sleep and Reid caught brief snatches of new songs here and there throughout the week.

As for Vivian, Reid had barely seen her at all. According to Ali, Vivian had dropped several classes to focus on her skating. While she had added Balletic Basics to her schedule to improve her balance and posture, it seemed to Reid that all Vivian seemed to do was skate. She rarely ever saw Vivian had lunch or breakfast and the only time she had seen Vivian in the Taylor Swift house was when she had lost track of time with Darwin and had to sneak into bed at 11. All the dark-haired girl seemed to do was skate, skate, and skate some more. When the Taylor Swifts had been scheduled for the spa, Vivian had been working on her double axel. When Reid asked Vivian if she wanted to help her with French, Vivian had been mastering her spiral sequences. All the Reid gathered from Vivian's brief brush with Shira and expulsion was the fact that Shira fully expected 500% effort into skating from Vivian, which had literally turned Vivian into a skating machine.

Reid herself had painted scenery with Darwin, sketched water lilies by a pond Darwin had taken her to, and created an entirely new portfolio filled with colored drawings of all the different types of birds. She snuck into underground tunnels with Darwin and had scoured the entire island of shops for some good old chocolate Hershey bars and finally found them hidden in the very back of a vending machine.

It seemed to Reid that each girl had switched off the summer party mode and had stuck their noses to the grindstone and proceeded to do what they did best. Become alphas.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

Summer leaned back in the soft seat of the rose colored couch in the center of the Tree House. It quickly become her favorite place in the entire island in the very first week of school. It was an escape from the endless spiral of drama that seemed to follow alpha girls wherever they went and provided inspiration for Summer's songs. Her new set of songs had been written under one theme and she had been turning a few album titles over in her head. One thing they all had in common was that they were all inspired by Alpha Academy, Alpha Island and anything and everything Alpha related starting from her very first song – Chosen. Exotic Paradise had been her first impression of Alpha Island and she had been writing songs ever since then. She had found an old strand of lyrics that had never been finished and had begun to add on to that. _Imperfections_ had been the song Summer had been slaving over from the beginning of the school year.

_Never said I was perfect,_

_No one really is,_

_I'm a girl with a balance issue,_

_I can't strut in heels.

* * *

_

_I fall on my face,_

_I PMS like a girl with an attitude problem._

_But that's all me,_

_And I'm not perfect.

* * *

_

_Those girls,_

_With flawless smiles and supermodel smiles,_

_If only that was me,_

_But they're perfect, and I'm imperfect. _

She sang the words softly in the quiet Tree House while strumming gently on her guitar strings. Her clear bell voice hit each note perfectly before trailing off at the last note. The song was still unfinished but so far, it was already one of her favorites. She ran her fingers over the words in green ink scrawled over the neat pale blue lines of her notebook before lapsing back into thought. Each word was chosen perfectly and strung together like a string of perfect pearls to the music of her guitar. Ever song Summer wrote had a memory, a feeling, a moment behind them. _Imperfections_ had been written with a certain Brazille boy in mind.

_Look at her, she's utter perfection,_

_Glossy dark hair, alluring eyes,_

_But I'm not her,_

_I never will be.

* * *

_

_You smile, I notice,_

_You flirt, you tease, you kiss,_

_But not me, I'm not her, _

_I'm not them, I'm not perfect._

Turning over the words in her mind, she sang them softly under her breath before scribbling the lyrics down in her notebook. She lifted her guitar and struck a chord, letting the sound resound through the room before strumming the first few notes and adding her new stanzas to her song. She had first gotten the inspiration for the song when she had first noticed Taz Brazille on the very first day of school. He had been assigned to her music class and she soon discovered that under his reckless player attitude, he had a love for guitar and drums. But she had never approached him. That wasn't something that she would do. He was different. He was impulsive, reckless, spontaneous, messed around and jumped from one girl to another in a span of a week. She was responsible, mature, organized and the complete opposite of spontaneous. Summer might had always been famous for her songs but she was never the type of girl who was the center of attention, who was known as the "popular girl" at school. If she ever did gone to a normal school and never been recognized for her singing, she would have been a girl who was the literature geek, who was quiet but had the sweetest singing voice. She loved to write stories, poems and most importantly, songs.

_I'm not your type of girl,_

_No fiery attitude, no dazzling smiles,_

_I'm not popular, I'm not gorgeous,_

_I'm not perfect.

* * *

_

_That'll never be me,_

_I'm imperfect,_

_With all my imperfections,_

_That makes me who I am._

Adding a few more lyrics to her page, she organized them, picked the chorus and began to sing while strumming the first few opening notes on her guitar. Besides the Tree House, the Apollo Studio was one of Summer's favorite places on the island. She was free to sing, experiment with different instruments and had a special wing reserved for singers who wanted to record songs. It was there that she had first seen Taz without his usual entourage of alpha girl fans. She admitted it to herself, yes, she had a wild crush on the 100% crush-able Brazille boy. But so other alpha girls, including Vivian Dresden herself. In the friend-sense of the world, Taz was Vivian's. After all, a girl wouldn't try to take her friend's crush, right?

Her thoughts were immediately interrupted by the ringing of the bell, signaling the end of the last minutes of lunch. Summer flipped her notebook shut, put her guitar into her shimmery gold bag and slung it over shoulder before heading towards class. She had liked Alpha Island from her very first day but the walking distance from one class to another were something that she had to contend with. She stepped off the last rung of the ladder and began walking towards the Apollo Studio for her Music Class.

"Hey, Summer!" a voiced called from behind Summer.

A girl in a pewter silver mini and the traditional blouse with a gold vest and sparkling tie speed-walked to catch up to Summer. Her long chestnut curls blew gently in the wind behind her and her large doe-brown eyes sparkled sweetly in the sunny afternoon light. Giselle Sanchez was a fellow musician in Summer's music theory class as well as her writing class. Just like Summer, Giselle was a girl with a talent for singing yet she loved to write. Unlike Summer, Giselle was the only daughter of Brandon Sanchez, a multi-billionaire who resided in his heavily guarded and grand palace of a home in the Hamptons. She was a heiress born into a society where she could have done anything in the world and gotten away with it but she developed a love for singing. Since she was her daddy's little princess, Giselle had everything Summer never did. She had a mother who adored her, a personal recording studio made just for her as well as any instrument her heart desired. Giselle had everything handed to her on a silver platter while Summer had been from an average middle-class family until her own talent had taken her to the top. The two girls couldn't be any more different yet they had formed a slight friendship. Summer knew that Giselle considered her competition and was only friends so that they wouldn't be enemies but the blonde singer knew that she wouldn't be becoming BFFs with Giselle any time soon.

"Ready for another heart-breaking session with Lucille?" Giselle flipped her chestnut hair over her shoulder as she fell into step besides Summer. "I swear, she makes at least half the class cry with a single yell."

"Yeah," Summer nodded in agreement. Lucille was the music muse and the phrase "if looks could kill" often came to Summer's mind in Lucille's class. She had hit each note, each tune perfectly until the tuner wobbled a slightest bit, causing a heavy glare from Lucille directed towards Summer. Perfection was required in Lucille's class. Not a single mistake was allowed.

The two girls arrived at the tall domed building and let the glass doors slid open as it admitted them into the Apollo Studio. Name after the god of music, the Apollo Studio was basically the music center of Alpha Island. It was divided into several wings – Summer and Giselle were headed towards the voice wing. Music drifted through the doors of the separate rooms and Summer could hear loud heavy rock music blasting from the Hardcore Music Wing.

The two girls entered through the gold door labeled Voice Wing and entered the room. Summer moved to take a seat and Giselle slid into the empty seat besides her. To her right, she could see Taylor Mitchell's pink lips moving and forming the newest words to her new song. Besides, her Giselle slid out a few new pages filled with her girly cursive writing with hearts dotted over the i's and curly tips on the y's and g's. Turning her attention back to her own space, she pulled out her green notebook and flipped it open to one of her newly completed songs.

"Ahem, good afternoon girls," the crisp no-nonsense voice of Lucille announced her arrival into the room. To Summer, she was not one teacher that any girl would like to cross. She was older than the majority of the Alpha Academy muses and her hair was twisted up into a perfectly braided and coiffed up-do while wearing a dark charcoal gray pencil skirt that shimmered faintly and a creamy white blouse. She looked strict, severe and businesslike. Her face was all angles, a sharp jaw, defined cheekbones and a mouth that seemed to always be turned into a frown.

"Alright, I had required you all to write a song that reflected our feelings about Alpha Academy since the very first day, and I expect a completed song now," Lucille stared around the room, meeting each girls' eyes. Her icy blue eyes finally rested on Summer's face.

"Summer! Stand up and perform your song. I want clear pitches, a fluid tone and a voice that rings with passion. You are free you to use your guitar," Lucille's voice was commanding.

Summer flipped back a few pages of her notebook to find the very first song she had ever written about Alpha Academy – Chosen. She unzipped her guitar case and took out her prized acoustic guitar which she slung over her shoulder.

"Front of the class," Lucille reminded Summer as Summer stepped forward into the center of the room and placed her fingers on the strings of the guitar. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she let herself remember the feeling she had when she wrote the song, when she was accepted and began to strum out the opening notes of her song.

_Just another wide-eyed girl,_

_Loving the music, loving the life,_

_Watch me fly, watch me soar,_

_I'm going to be somebody.

* * *

_

_Take a minute, take a moment,_

_I know I'm worth it,_

_Watch me grow, watch me shine,_

_I'm going to be a star.

* * *

_

_Give me a chance, give me a turn,_

_You won't regret it,_

_I'm special, I'm unique,_

_And everyone's going to know it._

Upping the tempo and dynamics of her guitar, she launched into the chorus of her song. This song rang of confidence, promise and authority. Know that she was good, knowing that she was special had helped fuel Summer's inspiration for the song that she had written down.

_I've been chosen,_

_Look at me now,_

_I'm still the same,_

_But now everyone knows it.

* * *

_

_Love me, adore me,_

_I've become somebody,_

_They chose me,_

_I've been chosen. _

Her clear voice rang out through the studio room and each note was sweet, clear and pure. A voice in the back of her mind wished that Taz was able to see her like this and know that she was different. Not a girl with a pretty face of a model – after all, so many alpha girls with a Model Track trailed after him. Finishing off her song with a final strum on her guitar that rang around the room and a paused filled the air before Giselle, Taylor and the other girls clapped politely. Lucille merely stared at Summer and gave her a brief nod.

"Not horrid, but nothing special, either. You need to pop out, Summer. Flash. Shine. Stand out. Giselle, your next."

Summer sank back down in her seat feeling slightly deflated. A pink heart-shaped post-it fluttered it's way over to her music stand.

_No worries! You were great, Lucille's just too critical._

_~Tay _

Summer glanced over at the petite girl with golden-brown hair and wide brown eyes and gave her a small smile. Taylor's sweet personality was infectious and she might be one of the nicest girls in the academy. Sure, she had the attitude of a bitch at times but the girl was sweeter than sugar and honey combined when she was in a friendly mood. While the girl was overly friendly at times and might have seemed fake, Summer had to admire that girl's ability to let herself inspire herself without taking Lucille's harsh criticisms.

"This song is called To the Top and I'm singing along to a background soundtrack," Giselle smiled brilliantly. She tossed her shiny hair over her shoulder and picked up a mic and struck a pose like a teen pop star ready to start belting out her newest hit single.

The CD slid into the special edition Bose and Giselle's backup music began to blast out through the studio room. The palpable sound of an electric guitar filled the room and the beat was steady and upbeat, something that could be danced to. Dancey and pop music was Giselle's speciality and her music was usually a lot more upbeat than Summer's.

_Oh oh oh oh oh oh _

_Here I come, watch the road,_

_I'm Giselle, I'm a star,_

_I'm gorgeous, fabulous, marvelous and the best.

* * *

_

_I know I'm good,_

_No need to tell me that,_

_But it's time to show,_

_What I can really do,

* * *

_

_Take your look, admire my Manolos,_

_I might not be here next time around,_

_I've got things to do, spotlights to steal,_

_Grammys to win now, out of my way!

* * *

_

Summer watched Giselle as she swayed her hips and danced to the music while her right hand stayed wrapped around the mic. She strutted back and forth like she was in a music video and flipped her hair, shook her head and flashed smiles into the imaginary audience. Summer had to admit that Giselle had the attitude, the flashiness and showiness that Summer lacked. She went to the extreme, even in a simple assignment from Lucille and that was what made her shine.

_I'm here to shine, I'm here to dazzle,_

_I'm the best, I know I am,_

_Watch me prove it!_

_I've been at the top, now I'm going to the top.

* * *

_

_Watch me take the stage,_

_Watch me take the mic,_

_Watch me steal the show,_

_I'm off to the top.

* * *

_

_To the top, _

_Let's do it!_

_I'm on a golden plane_

_With a ticket to the top.

* * *

_

_I'm going to be the best,_

_I'll top the others,_

_Here's my chance,_

_Watch me take it!_

She finished off her song with a flourish as the drums in her soundtrack crashed together and she struck her final pose with a finger snap that just radiated attitude.

"J'adore!" Taylor sang out and she applauded Giselle who laughed and swept a grand bow.

Even Summer could see a small smile twitching at the corners of Lucille's lips. Summer knew that Giselle was good, she was just different than Summer. Summer didn't sing like Giselle, she wasn't a fan of girly pop, flamboyant movements but that was Giselle. And that was what the public liked. Giselle was the glamorous diva that was admired and seemed suited for the stardom while Summer relied on her talent and love for singing to get her where she wanted to go. Summer would never be able to pull of Giselle's diva attitude and flashy personality. It just wasn't her.

While she knew that she was just as good as Giselle, a small part of her twinged bitterly at Taylor's obvious admiration of Giselle's song and her pitying note towards Summer.

"You've got the attitude, the glitziness that I wanted, but a few tweaks to some notes would make the song incredible," Lucille said. "Taylor, next."

Summer sank back lower in her seat as Taylor bounced up to the front of her room with her slight round face and bouncy curls that make her seem like a cute little doll.

"My song is called Pretty Pink Princess…."

* * *

Summer sighed as she walked out the door of Lucille's singing class. At least now she was off to music where she could play her guitar to her heart's content, something that she excelled at. Where Lucille found fault with Summer's style, there was nothing that her music muse could do to criticism Summer's guitar ability. It was pure talent. Singing was like a second nature to Summer but she had practically been playing guitar since she was born. It was a part of her, like her sixth sense. It came naturally and was as easy as pie.

"Wasn't class great today?" Taylor skipped besides Summer and Giselle. Her golden hair glinted in the bright afternoon sunlight that streamed through the windows of the hallways of the Apollo Studio and her natural brown tints in her hair were even more visible. The Apollo Studio was like a miniature high school with hallways, stairs and rooms for each special style of music. Whether the girl was a singer, or a pianist, there were always plenty of classes in the Apollo Studio ranging from Basic Music 101 to Teen Pop Styles. The doors were numbered and Lucille's classroom/studio was Apollo 11.

"Oooh yes," Giselle smiled, "And watch as my day gets even better," she giggled as they approached Apollo 23 which was one of the musical instrument rooms, where girls that played drums, electric guitar and bass took their lessons. It was also a class that Taz Brazille happened to take. The door swung open and Taz swaggered out flipping his drumsticks in the air like a juggler casually. A girl was right besides him. Her hair was pitch black with hot pink streaks in it and her clothes were the darkest shades that Alpha Academy offered. It was short, choppy and barely reached her shoulders. The two of them were discussing percussion and drumrolls as Giselle, Summer and Taylor approached them.

"Heyyyy," Giselle twirled a lock of chestnut hair around her finger as she fearlessly approached Taz and punk-rockstar chick next to him. _Oh great. Another girl who wants Taz._ As if Summer didn't have to deal with the issue of Vivian and Taz, here was Giselle trying to claim Taz for her own.

"Hello," Taz gave Giselle a grin with revealed his bright white teeth. "The lovely Miss Giselle, am I right?"

Summer suppressed the urge to scowl. He just _had_ to flirt back with Giselle didn't he?

"Oh look, another pop star," the girl besides Taz sneered.

"And look it's some punk wannabe chick," Giselle tossed back flippantly, not the least bit fazed.

"Now girls, no need to fight over me," Taz joked easily. "Giselle, this is Amy. Amy, this is Giselle."

Amy, scowled at Giselle, not masking her obvious contempt and disgust. "Well I – "

"How about we go to class, Aim?" Taylor jumped in and tugged Amy away from Giselle. The two girls were roommates, both from the Hillary Clinton house. Which left Summer along with Giselle and Taz, not exactly the situation she hoped to meet Taz in.

"Now, aren't you going to introduce me to your beautiful friend, Giselle?" Taz winked at Summer and smiled that smile that seemed to make girls all over the world swoon.

"Oh yeah, Taz, this is Summer Williams and Summer, you should know who this is," Giselle tossed her hair over her shoulder as she carelessly introduced Summer and leaned in closer to Taz. It was obvious that Giselle was blatantly flirting with Taz. Summer swallowed back the new wave of jealousy and greeted Taz.

"Hey Taz," Summer gave him a smile, hoping to come off as indifferent, cool and not a girl who would drape herself all over him.

"Great meeting you," Taz grinned at Summer. "We should hang out sometime."

Summer opened her mouth to respond but Giselle beat her to it.

"Oooh, I'd love to! Tonight at Azure Cove? Me and you?" she batted her eyelashes at him.

"It's a date," Taz replied, completely oblivious to the rage that flashed across Summer's navy blue eyes.

"Great!" Giselle squealed in delight, "See you!"

She blew a departing kiss towards Taz as he turned the corner and headed off to his next class leaving Giselle brimming with delight and Summer simmer with rage and jealously.

Summer glared at the back of Giselle's unnoticing head and silently screamed in rage in her head. Taz had asked her if she wanted to hang out and then Giselle just had to jump in! _Ugh!_ And the worst thing was the Giselle didn't even know that Summer liked Taz. The one thing that she consoled herself with was the Taz wasn't completely exclusive to Vivian.

"Oh my gawd, wasn't he just _so freaking hot_?" Giselle said dreamily as she walked with Summer down the hallway towards their next classes.

"Yeah," Summer answered simply but Giselle didn't notice her barely concealed anger.

"And I'm going to meet him!" she whisper-squealed in excitement.

Summer stared unseeingly at the golden painted wall and felt herself wishing that Taz would somehow just develop a sudden crush on her and dump all the rest of the girls on their butts in the dust. Right, like that would ever happen. That was the way things always were. Summer fell for the popular boys, the unattainable ones while other girls – more outgoing and popular girls – went after the boy and ended up with him and Summer silently watched from the sidelines. She knew Taz's reputation and also knew that he probably wouldn't stay with Giselle for over a week but it still hurt. Maybe it was time to do something about it?

She headed down the hallway, waving as Giselle left to her modeling class in the Aphrodite Studio. She climbed up the stairs to the second floor of the Apollo Studio and entered Apollo 42 for her guitar class. Thinking back to Taz, she took out her guitar again and shuffled some music sheets around her stand. She had never been that girl. The girl who went after boys, the girl who flirted. She never had a boyfriend and knew that messing with a Brazille boy was going against Shira's most important rule. She wasn't reckless, she wasn't impulsive, she didn't disobey. She was responsible, mature and always followed the rules. And she knew that she wasn't about to change. Or should she?

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

Alice smiled proudly as she received the news that her Shakespeare monologue had scored an A. She had been working her butt off the entire week just to score well in her monologue. Rosaline had instructed each girl to memorize a monologue from Shakespeare and deliver it in front of the class for the very first assignment. It was nearing the end of September and October was arriving. The first month of Alpha Academy was coming to an end and who knew what would happen?

Rosaline had decided spend several weeks on analyzing and delivering Shakespeare plays and The Comedy of Errors was her chosen play. She had assigned the parts to the girls and since none of the Brazille boys took her class, Alice had been assigned the part of Antipholus of Syracuse and Sabrina had taken the part of Antipholus of Ephesus. The girls were required to memorize Act l soon and deliver it flawlessly.

She had left the Eris Studio a few moments ago and now sat besides Vivian in Romance Languages in the heart of the Sculpture Garden. The two girls sat on a smooth stone bench while the French muse, Danielle, conversed fluently with Isabelle Martin, a girl from the Michelle Obama house.

"This is such a waste of time," hissed Vivian impatiently as she glanced around the Sculpture Garden. "I could be landing my triple flip now!"

"Well, at least right now you're not killing yourself on the ice," Alice said fairly. "You need a break. You eat, breathe and live skating. Somehow I don't think that's healthy. Now, start talking before Emma comes over."

Vivian sighed as she sank down in her bench and closed her eyes for a brief second.

Alice eyes' suddenly snapped open when Sydney and Mel Brazille entered the Sculpture Garden.

"Bonjour Mademoiselle Danielle, s'il vous plait nous excuser pour ce retard," Mel said smoothly as the two boys entered the class. Alice had gotten used to Sydney during the past week and had brief encounters with him throughout the week but her marine blue eyes were still focused on Mel. A part of her swooned at his fluency in French and her eyes lingered slightly on Mel as he walked over and took a seat on a bench with Sydney directly across from Alice and Vivian.

She immediately ducked her head down as she noticed Mel's gaze lingering on her and Vivian and she let her pitch-black hair fall forward to hide her heating cheeks.

"Attention!" The French muse, Danielle, clapped her hands together while commanding their attention in her voice which held a brief hint of a French accent.

"You have all gotten basic vocabulary and should be at least able to carry on a semi-decent conversation today. It will be a type of quiz, to test your speaking abilities in French. I will pair you up and expect full conversations to be flowing throughout the class," Danielle gazed around the room.

"Sabrina Benson and Taylor Mitchell," called out Danielle after a beat of silence. She began to pair up the students while making her way through the garden of elegant stone sculptures carved from the finest stone and marble.

"Isabelle Martin and Tammy Duong, Andrea Cameron and Delphi Harmon,"

"Vivian Dresden and Simone Channing, Suzanne Wagner and Mel Brazille,"

A slight frown crossed Alice's face as Mel moved over to sit besides the blonde girl.

"Who's Suzanne?" Alice leaned over to whisper to Vivian. A twinge of jealousy was already brewing in Alice as she noticed Suzanne flip her strawberry blonde hair and smile flirtatiously towards Mel.

"Jealous already, Alice?" Vivian laughed softly. "Suzanne's a skater like me, she was at my party, remember?" Vivian slid off the stone bench and walked over to the girl she had been paired with, Simone Channings – an alpha model with platinum blonde hair and green eyes.

Damn. An ice-skater _and_ pretty? Alice's marine blue eyes followed Mel and lingered on him slightly, completely unaware of Sydney's admiring gaze fixed on the back of her head and the fact that they were the only two left who had not been paired up.

"Alice White and Sydney Brazille," Danielle announced. "Get started on the conversations and I expect nothing but French for the rest of the class!"

_What?_ _Oh. Sydney._

"Bonjour," Alice greeted Sydney as she sat down beside him.

"Bonjour Mademoiselle Alice," Sydney gave her a beaming smile as she turned towards him.

"Comment allez-vous?" Alice asked.

"Tres bonne, vous?" Sydney replied with a grin. His cheerfulness was slightly infectious and Alice couldn't help but smile around him. Sure, he wasn't as hot as his brothers but he was nice, friendly and would make a good friend. As they carried on their conversation in French while Danielle walked slowly around the class and observed the alphas, Alice felt herself relaxing slightly.

"Work on your verbs, Alice dear," Danielle said, "It's este alle instead of va, since you are using the past tense,"

Alice nodded to Danielle and struggled to finish her sentence in French to Sydney. While Sydney seemed to be lost to one of questions, she took that chance to glance around the room. She found Vivian sitting on the bench and talking rapidly and fluently in French while Simone nodded her head in agreement. Lucky Vivian. Alice knew for a fact that while Vivian barely knew French, she once had a French ballet instructor who yelled criticizing phrases at Vivian in French and those phrases were the only ones that she knew. She was relating the entire story to Simone right now and the two girls were laughing at Vivian's imitations. Looking towards the sculpture of Adam and Eve, Alice found Mel and Suzanne talking quietly. Mel seemed to be acting completely normal while Suzanne kept flipping her hair, biting her lip and batting her eyelashes while she struggled with the verb conjugations.

"Alice? Alice?" Sydney waved his hand in front of her face.

"Vous etes encore la?" he asked.

"Huh?" she looked at him blankly for a second. "Oh! Um, oui. Désolé," she replied hastily as she apologized for not paying attention for a brief second.

Sydney smiled at her and they continued the casual conversation and Alice forced her eyes to keep away from Mel for the rest of the class. Talking to Sydney about his favorite colors, his hobbies were easy. Simple phrases in French and simple answers. No need to get deep into conversation.

"Bon travail!" Danielle exclaimed as the bell rang, signaling the end of class. "Now, I want a paragraph – at least two hundred words describing Alpha Island by tomorrow! Au revoir!"

"That was completely pointless," Vivian rolled her eyes as they headed out of the Sculpture Garden. "What does _French_ have to do with figure-skating, huh?"

"They could always hold the Olympics in Paris," answered Alice as the two girls headed away from the Sculpture Garden and back towards the main center of the island.

Vivian was about to answer but was interrupted by the beeping of multiple aPods in the area.

Alice slid out her phone and opened the new message.

ATTENTION ALL ALPHAS. WE ARE HAVING A MANDATORY MEETING IN THE PAVILION NOW. ALL ALPHAS REPORT TO THE PAVILION IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES.

-SHIRA BRAZILLE

Alice glanced over at Vivian with confused eyes. "We didn't do anything, right?"

"No," Vivian frowned, "Maybe she just has some announcements? Or maybe someone else is getting expelled….." she trailed off.

Alice shrugged but followed Vivian as they hurried towards the Pavilion for Shira's meeting.

"Vivian! Alice! Over here!" called Ali as she waved towards the two girls when they entered the Pavilion. Ali had already found Reid and Summer and had seated herself besides them while Alice weaved her way through the throng of alpha girls to the Taylor Swift table.

"What do you think is up?" Reid frowned nervously.

"No idea," said Summer uncertainly, her pale blonde hair whipped around her face as she whirled around to face the front of the Pavilion.

All around the Pavilion alpha girls were whispering quietly, wondering about what was going on.

"Maybe – " Alice was cut off by the sight of Shira Brazille's stage rising up and silence fell among the alpha girls.

"Good afternoon lollies, I have a few announcements. First off, congratulations to all the girls who have survived their very first month at Alpha Academy!"

"That's too bad," Summer commented.

"Wait for it," warned Vivian who wasn't taking her eyes off Shira.

"But, along with the conclusion of our first month, some of your muses have concluded that several girls are not suited for Alpha Academy. Their performance in class is not alpha worthy and they will be leaving Alpha Academy. When I call your name, please come up to the stage. Your bags are packed and your PAPs ready to depart," Shira announced with a wicked grin.

Horrified whispers broke out among the girls and nervous glances and twitches were present all over the Pavilion.

"Siena Mahone,"

Alice heard Vivian draw in a sharp breath besides her. "You know her?" Alice whispered.

"She's an Alpha ice-skater," Vivian muttered, "Well, she was."

"Kathleen Pelling, Lauren Nguyen, Kaitlin Ramirez, and Miranda Merkle," Shira continued. "You all have shown that you are not alpha-material. Goodbye."

The five girls with pale faces and tears streaking down their cheeks stumbled and made their way up to the stage while the rest watched in grave silence. Including Rebecca, six girls in total had been expelled. The competition was narrowed down to ninety-four girls. When the last girl had vanished out the doors of the Pavilion, Shira turned her attention back down to her audience of alpha girls.

Alice swallowed hard. Was she going expel _more_ of them?

"Now, we all know that you are not allowed to leave the island – unless expelled – and you have no connection to the outside world. But we will have new updates on the outside world at the end of each month. You may not be connected to the outside world but alphas need to know their competition – their enemies. My technology muses have complied a brief news broadcast about the prominent young females today. None of them are at your level but once you graduate, you will need to know who you are up against. Now, watch and observe. Notice their weaknesses and note how you can beat them," Shira commanded.

"A news update on the rest of the world?" Ali whispered.

"So we can check out our competition?" Reid questioned.

Alice merely shrugged and turned her attention towards the large yet impossibly thin screen that had appeared in behind Shira. Shira's platform stage glided over to the side to allowed the girls a clear view of the screen.

"Now, starting off with the top teen singers," Shira narrated as the screen filled with two images of two girls. "Maria Ryan and Gianna Rivera are the two top alpha female singers – currently."

Shira went on to explain the girls' background, top hit songs and even played their top music videos. Alice glanced at the Taylor Swift table, Reid look mildly interested, Ali looked bored along with Vivian and Summer was paying complete attention to the two singers. Well, of course. Summer need to know this.

"Summer, Taylor and Giselle, I fully expect your abilities to far surpass them."

"And the current top actresses are Hannah Sylvian and Victoria Devon, out of the entire world," Shira listed their movies that have been the number one in the box offices and continued to describe the two girls whose flawless faces were on the screen.

"Sabrina, Alice, Marin, Delphi, prove that you girls are the better actresses. Alphas do not lose, you will be taking their places upon your graduation."

"So far, the female jockeys are very rare but the top teen jockeys are Gabriel Musquez, and Martin DuBois. Ali, Rachel and Andie, I expect you girls to be easily able to beat them in a race even if they are male."

Shira continued, going through the girls who had won numerous art awards, the most sought after models, the most talented musician and the top figure skaters.

"Now, the top figure-skaters have been determined at Regionals just last week and the two highest ranking girls are Renee Winters and Meggie Chang, Renee took the gold and Meggie took the silver. Vivian, Dannie, Lily, Suzanne, I want you girls to be easily able to take them down during a single competition."

Vivian nearly choked. Her dark eyes were wide and staring straight at the screen where a photo of the three medalists stood at the Regional competition. The names Renee Winters, Meggie Chang and Jamie Sanders were listed.

"You know them?" muttered Ali.

"Yeah….." muttered Vivian, whose eyes were fixed on the image of the brunette Asian skater, Meggie.

"Wait, isn't that Meggie girl your best friend?" asked Reid, remembering the conversation between herself and Vivian.

Vivian nodded. She knew that Meggie would have scored at Regionals. Hell, she expected Meggie to take first.

"And now, you have all heard the names of the top promienent female teens, lollies. You know what they are capable of and you know what you are capable of. I expect general performances to improve dramatically. Good day."

Shira's stage and platform sank down and chatter filled the Pavilion again. It was amazing how Shira could turn a simple sentence into a threat and a news update was more of a "if you can't be this good, your out."

"So she's basically saying, "beat them or else," right?" asked Ali.

"Yup," nodded Summer.

Alice stared at Shira. The competition was becoming completely serious all of a sudden.

* * *

X-X-X

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REID DAME, PLEASE REPORT TO MY OFFICE AT 6PM SHARP TONIGHT

-SHIRA BRAZILLE

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**But it's a good excuse, put our love to use,**

**Baby, I know what to do,**

**Baby, I will love you,**

**I'll love you, I'll love you**

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**Also, after some consideration and input from my reviewers, I had decided not to have a winter break. alicemaybrandonjones had some pretty darn good points and I agree. Alphas come from all over the place…..and winters aren't always the same all over the globe. But, if I just decided to do a break after 1st semester that kind of kills the no contact thing….. Part of Alpha Academy is to get the girls to focus on their studies and I think that's what I'm going to keep them doing.**

**But! I shall write a special chapter as a break from Alpha Island and focus on the alpha girls' family/friends and see how they're doing! Sometime later (: Thoughts?**

**Was the news update too random? It was the end of the month and Shira would probably have some event...right? And checking out competition is always a wise idea!**

***Note: If you are wondering about the Reid/Darwin/Ashley thing, don't worry. Shira knows and she's been keeping her eye on Reid...so no. I have not forgotten about that. **

**Another thing, how was Summer? Summer fell for Taz but she's not the type of girl who would go up and flirt with him. More like an "admire from the side" kind of girl. Remember, she's a singer and musician so she got in for her musical talent, not her attitude or personality so...she's not a Giselle. And speaking of Giselle what did you think of her? We all have those times when our friend has a crush on the same guy...right? No? Well I know I do. And plainly, it sucks. So I feel for Summer. It's developing! **

***Note: The formatting was a bit funny and wouldn't let me put spaces between the lyrics...so the lines divide each stanza from each other. See? (:

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**

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! please? Once again, THANKYOU to all those who review, you guys keep this story going! :D**

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**I don't have a beta so all the mistakes are mine.**

**-The Lovely Psyche**


	10. Chapter 10

**Super short chapter...but it's the one about the alpha girl's family/friends. Enjoy!**

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**CHAPTER TEN**

**Christian Ryan (Ali Ryan's older brother)**

Christian Ryan's messy chocolate brown hair ruffled slightly in the wind as he strode towards the stables located a few meters away from his generic farmhouse that belonged to his family. His handsome yet slightly intimidating face was set into a smirking expression as he relieved his win yesterday at race in Louisville, Kentucky. Ever since his annoying little sister, Ali had moved off to some boarding school in a completely unknown location, Christian had taken the top spots in the races without the interference of Ali. With his reputation and fame sky-rocketing, he had barely spared his little sister much thought. His mother constantly fussed over Ali and tried to contact her – although Shira Brazille's letter made the NO CONTACT part pretty darn clear.

Besides, as long as little Ali was happy and out of Christian's way, he was fine. The two of them had never been close anyways. Christian was two years older than Ali and had gone to a different school than his sister ever since he was six. At home, Christian was focused on his racing with his champion coach, Bradley and Ali was off doing god-knows-what somewhere on the ranch. The Ryans were considered relatively wealthy. Mr. Ryan, Christian and Ali's father, owned the biggest horse-breeding ranch in the entire state of Kentucky and his horses were the offspring of champion horses and all of them pure-breed Thoroughbreds that were the most often sought after for jockeys. And Mrs. Ryan, the well-known Brittany Dubel was the daughter of the governor of Kentucky. Born into a world of wealthy socialites, Christian and Ali's mother was known for throwing the most elegant Winter Gala, the most extravagant Summer Bash and the most stylish dinner parties.

Christian and Ali might have never been close but they shared one thing in common. Their love for horses and their sheer determination to be the best. Christian was accomplished, well-known in the racing world, focused, incredibly well-trained but Ali had the raw and natural talent for racing that shot her forward enough to be competition for her older brother.

Throughout his entire life, Christian had to work for his dream. He sweated through multiple training sessions and survived through the biggest disappointments of his life. It was completely unfair that Ali could simple beat him in one race. Ali never went through what he did, she relied on her natural talent and bare minimum of training to seize the gold. _She_ didn't to work for it. _She_ didn't know what it was like to know that he wasn't always the best. _She_ didn't have to know how it felt when he worked so hard for something only to have his insignificant little sister snatch the prize out of his grasp with a single flip of her ponytail.

Thinking about Ali brought a dark scowl to Christian's face. It was a complete gift from God when his father forbid Ali from ever riding again. But at biggest annual race in the state last year, Ali had shown up with Eli and surpass everyone including Christian and moved off to claim her title as the winner and best jockey in the state of Kentucky. A fact that infuriated Christian.

He pushed the heavy wooden door of the stable open and entered the cool and dark stable. Whinnies of horses and the pawing of the dirt and hay filled the otherwise silent stable and the clear morning light filtered through the cracks in the wooden paneling and light streamed through the high windows of the stable.

He made his way over to his prized racing horse, Victory, and spoke in a low voice.

"Hey boy, ready to win the gold?" he rubbed Victory's nose lazily before unlatching the door of Victory's stall and leading him out into the crisp morning air. The sun was barely rising and pale light lit up the green fields of the Ryan Estate and his father was already up, leading some young colts to the water trough.

He swung himself up on Victory and began to urge him into a steady gallop towards the other end of the field. Everyone knew that the Ryans were incredible jockeys. Ali had stunned everyone and Christian had already established his reputation and reputation for racing. But Christian knew that in the long run, he would beat Ali. Ali never had to work hard, she had everything given to her. And Christian would fight for his way to the top. The biggest race of the USA was in a few weeks and they were going to win. After all, they were meant for victory. Christian had named his horse with the desire to win in his mind. They would become victors, winners and Victory was meant to be a victor. Christina knew it. Now, they just had to show the world that they were winners. And Ali wasn't here to stop them.

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**Ally Lane (Reid's BFF)**

"Ally! Allyyy are you even listening to me?"

"What?" Ally Lane turned to meet the brown eyes of Anni Lang. Anni, Ally and Reid had all been best friends since kindergarten and had gone to the same middle school and taken the exact same classes and now, Reid was gone to Alpha Academy and Ally and Anni attended Detroit High.

Anni crossed her slim arms over her chest and frowned at Ally. "You've been daydreaming this entire time about a certain boy." She stated. Ally envied Anni for her perfect looks. She had the long beautiful hair that was silky, dark, and glossy. With Anni's mother as a hair dresser, Anni's hair was always perfect and cut in the latest styles. While Reid and Ally had been considered the more "geeky girls" since Reid was a quiet artsy girl and Ally was a band geek with a talent for getting straight As. Anni wasn't as close to Ally and Reid back in middle school but was friendly. She was one of the nicest girls in the school and her looks and popularity didn't make her a complete snob to Ally and Reid.

"What? No!" Ally immediately defended herself. Truthfully, she had been slightly distracted by the loud raucous laughter of a group of boys over near the vending machine…but Anni didn't need to know that.

"So….are you going with anyone to Homecoming?" Anni placed her hands on her hips as she glanced over at Ally.

When Reid had left to Alpha Academy, Ally was basically left a loner. Lucky for her, her first period of high school had seated herself to Anni Lang, an asian girl who had been friendly to Reid and Ally back in middle school. Ally basically tagged along with Anni for the entire day, getting introduced to the freshman of Detroit High's Dance Team. Apparently Anni had tried out for the dance team during the summer and had gotten in. She was beautiful, in the way the Reid and Ally had never been. Her almond-shaped brown eyes were big and lined with Urban Decay's Zero and her eyelashes were emphasized with Covergirl's Lashblast. Her dark brown hair was dyed and highlighted with red and her figure was slim, perfect and she could dance like no other. All of them scored points for popularity with Anni. And not to mention the fact that she was nice, outgoing, charismatic and won the approval of the "popular girls" on her very first day. She was part of the dance team, immediately giving her a stereotype that was pretty desirable and she was friendly with the Cheer Squad, boosting her status even more. Ally had been lucky enough to have Anni on her side the very first day of school.

"Who would ask me to Homecoming?" Ally raised her eyebrow. While Ally was by no means ugly or unattractive, she definitely didn't stand out like Michelle Buchanan who had the silky glossy golden blond spiral curls and light blue eyes. And she wasn't rich like Stephanie Hale whose family owned the biggest mansion in the city. She wasn't even considered pretty like Anni and definitely didn't have Anni's sunny personality.

"You could ask someone," suggest Anni.

"Oh yeah? Who would I ask? Wait, who would even accept?" Ally frowned at Anni. She missed Reid. Reid would have never gone to a school dance and now, she was part of Anni's social circle which attended all the school functions and flirted with guys. Ally felt completely awkward around them.

"You never know till you ask!" Anni sang out as she slid out gracefully from the table and made a beeline for James Bautista, a sophomore on the all-male dance team of Detroit High. Ally watched from the table as Anni smiled at him, flipped her hair over her shoulder and said something with a sweet smile before nodding her head and walk-strutted back to Ally with a new sway in her step.

"See, it's not that hard," she flashed Ally a smile completely unaware of six hate-stares from six different girls who were planning to ask James out.

Ally shook her head. She missed Reid. Reid would understand her dilemma; Reid would sleepover at her house, paint her names, finish their Bio homework and gossip about celebrity crushes that they would probably never meet. The Brazille Boys had been their latest eye-candy before Reid left and Ally knew that Reid had liked Darwin Brazille for ages. Who knew? Maybe Reid had gotten her guts up and chatted with Darwin.

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**Corona White (Alice's sister)**

She leaned back in the blue plush seat of the plane on her way back to her father's grand mansion in Hollywood, California in the USA. She had been accepted into the most prestigious ballet school in Paris when she was four and had trained there for most of her entire life. Summer vacations were short there and the only time she went home was for Autumn Break. She spent her winter break working for their Winter Gala and Ballet while in the Spring, she worked on the Spring Showcase. The only time she ever went home was in autumn near the end of September. Even then, she barely saw her entire family. If she visited her mother, she didn't see her father. Alice was usually around in London but completely busy with her acting schedules. Her other sister, Naomi had been around when Corona was little but now lived somewhere in Spain with her new husband. Then her brother, Jose was working in North Carolina, the opposite of side of the continent from her father. Sometimes to Corona, her family was much too widespread and they barely saw each other. She had been given into the custody of the ballet school when she was four and her parents kept the school happy with the payments and the headmistress was always readily able to accept Corona for some summer program at the school if she had nowhere to go for the summer. She had never seen her family all together since she was four.

She missed her Naomi, she missed Jose and most of all, she missed Alice. She had been closest to Alice despite the distance and wished that she could talk to Alice. But Alice had gone to some academy for talented girls called Alpha Academy and apparently, outside contact there was impossible and forbidden.

A few hours later, her plane touched down at LAX and once she was able to, she wasted no time in calling up her father's driver.

"Hey Bill, can you come and get me?"

"Yes, Miss White,"

Corona hung up with a slight sigh as she headed towards the conveyor belts to pick up her luggage. Sometimes she just wished that her family was happy together.

"Hello," Corona greeted as she slid into the glossy dark grey Mercedes and Bill turned out of the airport's driveway and sped off towards Hollywood. At least this time, her father wasn't busy with a new movie or a new…girlfriend. Her father was a notorious player here in California, a fact that slightly disgusted Corona. He was rich, wealthy and looked ten years younger than he really was. A fact that drew many gold-digging actresses and models to him. Corona hoped that she wouldn't run into a blonde bimbo this time.

"Your father is in his study," the butler greeted Corona as two workers took her bags out of the trunk of the Mercedes and began to bring it up to her room. Corona turned down a hallway and made her room to her father's study.

"Great to see you, Naomi," her father didn't look up from his papers as Corona said a quiet hello and entered.

"It's Corona, actually," Corona coughed slightly as she repressed the frown that flitted over her face. It was just like her father to forgot which one of his children were coming to visit. "Naomi's in Spain with her husband."

"Right, right" Mr. White nodded absently. "His name is Jason, right?"

"I think it was Daniel," Corona answered while standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"Is Alice here, too?" her father finally looked up from his papers to look at Corona. His face fell slightly as he only saw Corona standing by the door.

"No, she's at Alpha Academy," Corona explained.

"Do you think she could take a semester off?" her father began typing away at the newest Apple desktop on his table.

"I don't think Alpha Academy is able to be contacted," Corona said quietly.

"But Alice is now an actress, yes?" her father waved off that information.

"Yes,"

"She would be perfect for my newest movie," her father said excitedly.

"I don't think she even knows about it," Corona frowned. "Maybe you could talk to – "

"I'll talk to her agent. I _am_ her father," he declared.

_Yeah, a father who barely talked to Alice three times in her entire life. _Figures that he would only be interested in Alice when he needed a teenage actress with talent.

"Her agent doesn't work for her anymore," Corona said impatiently. She was getting sick of her father's ignorance. "But you can call up Shira Brazille to ask for Alice."

"Shira Brazille? The Australian mogul?" interest and slight surprised finally showed on her father's face.

"Yeah, Alice goes to her school," Corona said.

"How long has this been going on?" demanded her father.

"Since the beginning of September," Corona shrugged. "I'm going to my room, my head is throbbing and I think I'm having a severe case of jet lag."

She left her father's study and went down to her room. All of her siblings had their own rooms in her father's house and he had said that they were "welcome to stay and live at anytime". Her headache and jet lag had been complete BS to her father but she was sick of his questioning and wished that he would pay more attention to Alice as well as herself. It was a lonely feeling. Knowing that your family was scattered throughout the globe and she was literally all alone in the world.

The door swung open and a giggling women entered.

"Oops! Wrong room," she giggled. "Who are you anyways?"

Corona raised an eyebrow at the blonde girl who looked like she belonged in some lingerie fashion show. Her chest reached enormous proportions and her legs were long, endless and tanned. She looked like a sex-ed up Barbie doll.

"If you're looking for my dad, he's in the study," Corona said coldly, eyeing the girl.

"Thanks!" the girl giggled again, "Toodles!"

Corona shook her head. Her family was a mess.

If only Alice was around this time. But Alice wasn't. She was in an exclusive academy training her to be the best actress and Corona was left alone in the world with a marriage sister, a busy brother, a mother who never seemed to around and a father who didn't care. Lucky Alice. At least she had a chance to make some real friends. All the snobby French girls at the ballet school saw Corona as competition and she was known constantly as "les Anglais fille" at the academy. "The English Girl" She was different. She didn't fit in at the academy, she had practically no family and her only friends were applying to Oxford and Cambridge somewhere back in London. She really wished Alice was here. Alice would have laughed at the blonde, she would have talked back to her father and they would be having a good time talking about each other's acting career, ballet career and having fun around Hollywood. But Alice wasn't here. And Corona was stuck with a father who had never really been a father.

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**Meggie Chang (Vivian's BFF)**

"Ready to win?" Andromeda Winston laughed as she skated around the rink of the Regionals with her long blonde hair flowing out behind her. Meggie laughed slightly as Andie and Jamie glided up to flank her as she skated laps around the perimeter of rink. They were warming up for their long programs at the Regionals which had been hosted at their own rink in Colorado Springs. After all, Colorado Springs was a figure-skating town.

"Come on, Megs," Jamie shot forward to skate in front of Meggie and turned herself around and began skating backwards while keeping up the conversation. "We're fighting on our own turf, Renee Winters and Isobel Rivera are going down!"

Meggie shook her head in slight amusement at her friends' lightheartedness. The long program had never been her forte and it never had been Vivian's either. Vivian's spins, turns, and artistic ability were incredible and better than everyone else but Meggie knew Vivian's weakness. Triples in the long program. Vivian had struggled with landing continuous triples and it was one of her biggest flaws along with the triple flip and the triple toe. But that wasn't Meggie's problem. Meggie's issue was with spins. She moved off her center and her speed was never as fast as Vivian's. The two girls had always competed against each other and challenged each other. Meggie knew that Vivian was over competitive and during competition season, Vivian could be a major bitch. But that was made Vivian her friend. Vivian had competed alongside Meggie since they were both four. They were rivals, they were frenemies and then they were best friends. Going to a competition without Vivian was like competing with one skate.

Winning the gold in the short program was a piece of cake for Meggie, but it was different. Vivian's screams and cheers weren't there when Meggie skated out. Vivian wasn't sitting between Andie and Jamie. Vivian wasn't there to take the gold from Renee Winters. Vivian wasn't there to hug Meggie when she won silver. And Vivian hadn't been there when Meggie finally perfected her double Lutz the week before.

"Jamie! Watch – "

Andie's shout was cut off as Jamie slammed right into a girl who was warming up on the ice. The two girls crashed to the ice and Jamie hurriedly yanked herself off the ice before dusting herself off.

"Oh look who it is, Jamie Sanders, Andie Winston and the ever perfect Meggie Chang," the girl sneered as she picked herself off the ice and glared at the three girls with her steely green-gray eyes.

"Hi Renee," Meggie answered between clenched teeth.

"Where's Ice Bitch Vivian Dresden?" Renee smirked. "Out of the equation already? I noticed that she didn't place in the short program."

"She's at Alpha Academy," jumped in Andie who glared at Renee. "Once she finishes her year, she'll be back to kick your ass all the way to freaking Jupiter!"

"Well she's not here now, is she?" Renee narrowed her eyes at Andie. Her hair was already twisted up into the perfectly tight bun and her crimson skating dress hugged her figure perfectly.

"God, you look disgusting," another voice came from the ice. A tall statuesque girl with long dark hair that flowed around her face in long loose waves and a mic glided over to the ice and looked down at Renee with a sneer. "That dress is almost an exact copy of Vivian's from last year, what did you do, dig it out of the trash?"

"Karolyn!" Meggie shot forward to hug the girl. Karolyn Dresden was practically Meggie's big sister that she never had. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the MC/announcer chick for today," Karolyn answered. "Too bad Vivie isn't here to kick Renee's ass. Ready to win, Meggie?"

Karolyn flashed a smile at Meggie. With her long dark hair, dark eyes and perfect ten body, Karolyn Dresden was a five year older version of Vivian. Except that she was a dancer and a model who happened to be the MC/announcer for today's competition.

"Sure," Meggie gave her big smile.

"All skaters off the ice, the first competent will skate in ten minutes," the announcement blared over the loudspeaker.

"Gotta run, girlies!" Karolyn blew a kiss to Meggie, Jamie and Andie before skating forward and rushing off the ice.

"Let's go," Meggie led Jamie and Andie away from Renee and they headed over to wait for Karolyn to call their names.

"Our first competitor is Renee Winters, representing the Boston Skating Club!" Karolyn's sweet voice announced.

Meggie shifted in her ice-blue skating dress as she waited for her turn. She was up next, right after Renee. She bounced on her heels and stretched her hamstring. She was going to win this.

"Next we have Meggie Chang, representing the Colorado Springs Skating Club!" Karolyn called out. Meggie could detect the enthusiasm in Karolyn's voice. Karolyn usually MCed when she was in town, she never gave up the chance to cheer Vivian on at competitions.

Meggie glided out onto the empty rink. Her eyes scanned the white surface and smooth ice as she skimmed over and paused in the center of the rink. She was going to win this. To kick Renee's butt, to win the gold, to satisfy her coach, but most importantly, to make her friends proud. Especially Vivian. Her music started up all the only thought that filled Meggie's mind was her double axel and the goal to skate a clean program.

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**Cecilia Marlow (Summer's ex-BFF)**

"Gawd! That girl is _such_ a whore," snapped Annie Giordano as she inspected her bright red cherry painted nails as she hate-glared at Samantha Ramirez who happened to be flirting with the lacrosse junior.

"Ah-greed," Cecilia Marlow nodded as her long blonde hair fell down in curls around her face. In truth, she hardly care who Samantha was interested, but it was better to just agree.

The two girls were the "popular girls" of the Upper East Side and ruled Sacred Heart Academy – well at least Annie did. With her long brunette hair, flashing amber eyes, diva attitude, covergirl-worthy looks and dancer talent, no one went against Annie Giordano. Cecilia was lucky enough to be her best friend, but lately her thoughts seemed to wander towards another girl who had been Cecilia's best friend before Annie. Summer Williams had been Cecilia's closest friend until Summer liked the same guy she did and stole her part in the school musical.

"Hey do you remember that loser, Summer?" Annie asked, snatching Cecilia's attention.

"Yeah, why?" Cecilia glanced over at the stunning brunette.

"Her newest album just came out and apparently she's gone off to some special academy," Annie made finger quote around the word "special"

"Alpha Academy, right?" Cecilia asked.

"Sure," Annie shrugged carelessly. "Besides that so not the point, the point _is_ that she gets to flirt with majorly hawt Brazille Boys like Mel Brazille and Taz Brazille! Definitely nawt fair!"

"Why don't you apply to Alphas. You're the best dancer in the entire East Coast, why didn't you?" Cecilia asked.

"Because daddy thought it was a scam and totally lame," Annie huffed. She flipped her long brownish-reddish hair over her shoulder and scowled down at her salad.

"Send a letter to Shira Brazille and ask her if you can enter," Cecilia said with confidence.

"Yeah, right. Shira doesn't accept transfers OR newbies," Annie snapped. "And you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm auditioning for the NYDA once this stupid year is over, anyways," Annie said flippantly. "That school only takes the top dancers and they feed directly into the NYDC."

"What's the NYDA?" asked Cecilia.

"The New York Dance Academy! Gawd, keep up will you?" Annie rolled her eyes.

"So you don't need Alpha Academy," said Cecilia reasonably.

"Who _does_?"

"So what about Summer Williams?" asked Cecilia.

"Nothing interesting," replied Annie as she flipped through the magazine. A small section of the glossy magazine was devoted to the blond singer, Summer, and rumors flew about her studies at the exclusive Alpha Academy.

"Forget her!" Annie slapped the magazine down on the cafeteria table in a huff of anger.

"It's all about Alpha Academy," Cecilia glanced at it. An entire three pages of the magazine was devoted to Alpha Academy and the "talented girls" who have been accepted there. Summer was one of the girls mentioned, seeing how she was a famous singer.

"Oh look, it's the dorky duo," Annie sneered as two girls walked past to sit at a table behind them.

"And look, it's Miss Bitch and her slutty sidekick," retorted the auburn-haired girl, Rose Evans. She glowered at Annie and Cecilia as she sat down with her lunch tray with her friend, Autumn Prescott besides her. Cecilia rolled her eyes, she was known as "the slut" just for her flirtation with boys. Oh well. Like she cared what the two dorky girls thought. Rose and Autumn were Summer's new friends when Cecilia ditched her for Annie. Cecilia hated Rose on first sight and Rose had been friends with Summer before their big fight. Cecilia's dislike and hatred of Rose was another thing that pushed her to dumping Summer. She hated how Summer sang herself into the spotlight the entire time and never seemed to be aware of Cecilia's envy and Summer was always leaving Cecilia by herself whenever she met a new singer/musician girl that she found more interesting and Cecilia hated that. When she was friends with Summer, she was basically a nobody with the title of "that singer girl's friend", but when she became friends with Annie – it was her rise to popularity. Annie Giordano and Cecilia Marlow, people never heard one name without the other. Annie and Cecilia became best friends and _everyone_ knew who they were.

So why would Cecilia ever regret ditching Summer? Never. And she didn't, becoming best friends with Annie was the best thing that ever happened to her. Summer Williams was just one of Cecilia's friends who had backstabbed her and moved off to another school. She didn't need to waste another thought on Summer. Nope, and she wouldn't.

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**You like? I tried to make them pretty different. Like Christian was glad about Ali not being there...Ally missed Reid...Corona was missing Alice and her entire family...Meggie missed Vivian...and Cecilia is glad that Summer is gone. **

**So some comments...**

**A brother's POV, a BFF's POV, a sister's POV, another BFF's POV and a ex-BFF POV...no parents. Oh well. **

**Corona was pretty darn interesting to write. I re-read over the previous chapters and found sections where I focused on the girls' background history and I really did like Alice's family. Yeah, they're pretty messed up and all over the place but anyways, I really do like Corona! (I kinda wanted to do a spin-off where I wrote about Corona's experience at her ballet school). Yup. She's definitely a character that I can expand on...**

**Cecilia was kinda interesting, too. I think i briefly mentioned Annie Giordano and Cecilia Marlow in one of the previous chapters with Summer...and instead of writing about Rose or Autumn (which was what I previously thought about doing) I used Cecilia! Hope you liked her...and as for Annie, I also wanted to do a spin-off with her and her New York Ballet Academy thing...maybe if I develop a storyline I'll write about Annie and Corona! Two ballerinas! Just an idea...)**

**Review? Please? Thank you! This was a meant to be a quickly written update but took up quite a while... eh. Hope you liked it! Review! Review! Review!**

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**I don't have a beta so all the mistakes are mine :)**

**-The Lovely Psyche**


	11. Chapter 11

**Enjoy!**

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**You can be the prince and I can be your princess,**

**You can be the sweet tooth and I can be the dentist,**

**You can be the shoe and I can be the laces,**

**You can be the heart that I spill on the pages.**

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**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

"You are under severe danger of expulsion, Reid Dame," Shira Brazille stated flatly as she stared at Reid behind her dark sunglasses in her office. Her hands were folded on her glossy Australia-shaped desk and she leaned forward while looking at Reid behind her dark sunglasses.

Reid swallowed nervously. She had never been in trouble with an authority figure in her entire life. She was always the good girl, the girl who stayed off the social radar and the girl who sat in the back of the class without drawing attention to herself. Now, sitting across from Shira Brazille, Reid felt completely out of her element.

"I – uh – just – uh – why?" Reid managed to finally get out. She could practically feel the heat waves searing into her forehead from Shira's glare. She almost smacked herself in her forehead. Why why why _why_ did she have to sound so out of place right in from of the intimidating Aussie?

Shira merely looked at her for a minute before tapping in a command into the keyboard that was built into the desk. The glossy surface on the desk morphed into a flat screen and an image of Reid and Darwin kissing by the lake popped up on the surface.

Reid felt her mouth fall open and her cheeks heat up with shock, embarrassment, and most of all, guilt.

Shira had found out.

"An alpha girl saw you the both of you by the lake and reported the incident to me a few weeks ago," Shira regarded Reid impassively behind her sunglasses that covered most of her face. Reid couldn't make out Shira's gaze but anyone could feel the coldness emanating from Shira. Reid managed wrench her mouth shut and stared down at the desk in stunned disbelief. Who would do that? Reid was aware of Shira's flat stare at her and no words seemed to rise from her mouth. What could she say?

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Shira demanded, her mood getting impatient.

"I – I'm sorry," said Reid in slight defeat. There was nothing else to say, no other words that she could think of that would get her out of this mess. She would apologize, swear to never talk to Darwin again and hope that Shira would allow her to stay at Alpha Academy.

"What are you sorry for?" Shira fired off another question immediately. She wasn't letting Reid get away with a simple apology. She wanted an explanation.

Thoughts flew through Reid's mind as she tried desperately to come up with an answer that would make her seem like an alpha, not just another beta student.

"For breaking a rule that was meant to keep students on their Alpha Track," Reid answered, hoping that it was the right one. She wouldn't say that she was sorry for kissing Darwin, for meeting up with Darwin, or anything like that – because she wasn't. Darwin was one of the best things that had happened here to her at Alpha Academy.

"Reid Dame, you broke one of my biggest rules here at Alpha Academy," Shira said. Whether by pure chance or Shira's anger, the lights in the room flickered of a brief moment.

That wasn't a question.

"However, I instated that rule for one reason. Girls who develop….obsessions with boys tend to become distracted. Distracted and have no regard for their studies and talents. I knew that you have been seeing Darwin for over two weeks, yet Hazel has convinced me that you have excelled in her class," Shira stated looking at Reid.

Reid had no idea what to say. Was Shira telling Reid off? Or was she trying to convey a different message?

"Darwin is different than most of his brothers. Like Sydney, he does not notice a girl simply for their looks or accomplishments. He cares about their personality, and while so far you have not shown the confidence that many of the girls here possess, you have been able to catch the attention of one of my more sensitive sons as well as stay focused on your Alpha Track," Shira continued.

Reid was now confused. Was Shira letting her off the hook? She was complimenting Reid – in a way.

"I've decided not to expel you from Alpha Academy, but like your roommate, Vivian, you are now under probation. One toe out of line and you are out without question. I want your performance to improve in art and if I see the slightest hint of you slacking off in any way – you are out. No questions. Understand?"

"Yes," Reid opened her mouth and forced out the word. She was completely speechless. Shira was letting her stay?

"As for Darwin, you are allowed to spend time with as long as you follow one simple rule. Focus on your Alpha Track. If my son gets in the way of you and your alpha goal, your interactions and little sessions by the lake with cease," Shira stood up from her seat and headed out the door. "Don't flatter yourself too much, lolly. This is mainly for my son's benefit than your's."

"Remember, one small hint of you slacking off – you're expelled. G'day," Shira opened the door and swept out, leaving Reid sitting slightly stunned in the chair.

_Wait what?_

Reid got up from the chair and stood in the center of Shira's office. Was this how Vivian felt when she was questioned by Shira? A threat barely concealed with a slight lecture? Now she knew why Vivian trained so hard now, Shira had probably put Vivian on probation, too. Scratch that. She DID put Vivian on probation.

She swallowed hard. Right, she was at Alpha Academy, a school for alphas. There was no place for nervousness, for weaknesses, for any _beta_ness here. She had to be an alpha and if she couldn't, she had to fake it – and fake it well. She had to stand up to Shira, stand up to others and prove to Shira that she was worth it. Prove that Shira hadn't given a spot to a mere beta. That Reid Dame _belonged_ at Alpha Academy. She knew she was good at art, she knew that she had alpha potential. Now, all she had to do was prove it. It was time to start getting her act together and working her butt off. It was time to become an alpha.

* * *

Reid walked through the cool evening air as she headed back towards the Taylor Swift house. After the afternoon meeting in the Pavilion, she had been immediately summoned to Shira's office and received her lecture with a threat veiled in it. The sun had set and the sky was a dark violet color, with the cool sea breeze coming in and ruffling Reid's dirty-blonde locks gently. She had always dreamed of living in Hawaii when she in sixth grade. There was just something about the beaches, sea and _island_ feel to it that seemed so alluring to Reid. And now, look. She was living at a boarding school for talented alpha females on a specially built high-tech island in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes Reid could hardly believe that she actually was at Alpha Academy. It all seemed like a dream to her.

She arrived at the porch of the Taylor Swift house and let herself in with her golden house key. She skipped up the winding staircase and slipped into the bedroom where the rest of the Taylor Swift girls were already sitting on their beds. The main lights were out and the warm glow of the homely lamps lit up the glitzly bedroom with its beds with gold bedspreads, rounded windows and sparkling galactic night sky ceiling.

"She's just so, annoying!" vented Alice as Reid walked through the doorway.

"Who's annoying?" asked Reid, jumping into her conversation and sitting down at the foot of Summer's bed. Summer had changed into her PJs and leaned back comfortably against her pillows as she nodded and "mhmed" along to Alice's rant.

"Sabrina Benson!" Alice exclaimed. "I ignored her for the entire month and she just doesn't go away and ugh!" Alice was sitting cross-legged on her bed while Ali lay on her stomach on her own bed with her ankles crossed up in the air.

"They're all like that," Vivian answered, "You're her competition and she's just a major bitch. Don't stress about it."

Reid glanced over at Vivian who was lying on the floor in a perfect middle split. Her legs were in a perfect line, parallel to the wooden floorboards and her torso was flat against the floor. She rested her chin in her hands as she talked with Alice. Reid immediately envied Vivian's flexibility.

"It's all part of the big competition of life," Ali chimed in. "Don't let her get to you,"

Ali and Vivian both suggested the same thing. Forget Sabrina because she wasn't worth it.

"Besides, we have something more interesting to talk about," Summer added, changing the subject. "Reid _still_ hasn't spilled on her meeting with Shira!"

"Um, I wasn't expelled," Reid offered.

"No, really?," Vivian said sarcastically. "Details, girl. Details!"

Summer, Ali and Alice switched their attention from Alice and over to Reid as they waited for her to answer.

"She said that I was allowed to stay with Darwin as long as I stayed focused," Reid shrugged. "Oh, and I'm on probation so I can't mess anything up."

"Same old, same old," Vivian mock-yawned. "She said the same thing to me, too. Minus the boy part, though. Lucky you."

"Oooh, and speaking of the Brazille boys, Mel is just so _gorgeous_!" Alice gushed. A smile lit up her face as she leaned forward eagerly. Reid smiled slightly. From what Reid knew about Mel, he would get along with Alice perfectly. Both good-looking, both with a love for acting and Mel and Alice just sounded good together.

"Speak for yourself," Ali laughed. "I personally think Dingo is _way_ cuter! And funnier!"

"Dingo's fun alright," answered Vivian with a playful smirk tugging on her lips. "But Taz is so much hotter!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Reid saw Summer frown slightly.

"He's having a date of sorts with Giselle Sanchez," Summer commented.

"What?" Vivian glanced up from her position on the floor with a hint of interest and a slight twinge of jealousy and anger.

"Tonight at the Azure Cove," Summer elaborated. "They were talking about it after our singing class."

Reid saw anger and jealousy flit over Vivian's face before it disappeared.

"Whatever," she shrugged. "It's not like I was obsessed with him, anyways. He was just fun to flirt with."

Four pairs of eyes looked at Vivian dubiously.

Ali raised her eyebrows at Vivian. "Liar."

"I'm just pissed that some Giselle girl beat me to ask him out," Vivian said. "Besides, no boys remember? Focus on skating or else I'm kicked out of here."

Reid looked at Vivian intently. "But you like him?"

Vivian returned her gaze to the wooden floorboards and considered her answer.

"Yes, but I'm not going to do something that stupid," Vivian answered after a while. _At least not anymore,_ Vivian added quietly to herself in her mind.

The others let the subject drop and turned to Summer.

"What about you?" asked Alice with a slight smile. "Any one you're interested in?"

Reid's brown eyes analyzed Summer's reaction carefully. She saw something flash through Summer's eyes and she could practically see the wheels spinning in Summer's mind. She was warring with herself on the inside. Reid knew that feeling. When she knew that she hated to lie but just had to, because she didn't want to give herself way. Whether it was because she was shy to admit her feelings out in the open or for some other reason, Reid knew that Summer was hiding something.

"No, not anyone," Summer finally answered.

Yup, Summer was definitely hiding something. And if the frown Summer had when Vivian talked about Taz, Reid would bet that Summer had at least a small interest in Taz.

"Awh," pouted Ali.

"Hey, so how did Shira even find out about you and Darwin?" asked Alice wonderingly.

Reid bit her lip. "Someone saw us together and sent a photo to Shira. But I don't know who."

"Someone did _what_?" cried Vivian in outrage.

"That's so – mean!" exclaimed Ali.

"Who would _do_ that?" wondered Summer.

"One of the Michelle Obamas," declared Vivian. "They hate me, because Rebecca and all other crap."

"Yeah, probably," Alice nodded. "But Sabrina hates _me_. Not that I really care."

"Which one?" asked Reid. "Sabrina? Gwen? Isabelle? Sara?"

"Maybe Isabelle," suggested Ali. "She's such a nosy gossiper."

"It could be anyone of them, or none of them," frowned Summer. "We don't know for sure. What if it's someone from a different house?" she asked logically.

"Well if we ever find out who that girl is….." trailed off Ali in a slightly threatening tone.

"Then they're dead," finished Vivian. "Ratting someone out, definitely not alpha. Why didn't Shira expel her?"

"No idea," Reid shook her head.

If someone did hate her, that wasn't something that Reid wanted to dwell on. She never really had anyone hate her before. Sure, she and Ally were pushed around by those popular cheerleaders at school but they never had considered her anything more than another "geeky, nerdy girl". Now, someone here considered her to be enough competition and disliked her enough to want to get her expelled. Her life really was going through some major changes and flipped all over the place like a hourglass.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

"Breathe in, breathe out," the soothing calm voice of the ballet muse holograph intoned as Vivian balanced carefully on a single pointe shoe in the center of the small room in the Dionysus Theater. She held her arms outstretched and pointed her foot in a textbook perfect passé as she balanced on the tip of her left pointe shoe.

Her long dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and she had discarded her sweats earlier for her black dance shorts and copper cami. A small bead of sweat trickled down between her shoulder blades as she clenched her muscles to keep herself steady. Without the ballet barre, ballet was ten times harder. She had been logging solo sessions with the holograph machine every morning before her first skating class, taken Balletic Basics in the afternoon and finished her day with another session with the holograph at the end of the day. Vivian wasn't a dancer and had dropped Artistic Styles of Modern Dance earlier but ballet was a requirement for figure-skating. It improved her posture, her balance and her stamina. Hence the reason why her toes were red and raw and muscles screaming in protest every day.

"And relax," the holograph finally said as Vivian lowered leg slowly and gratefully.

"Now, let's go over that combo one more time," the holograph of the dance muse, Jenny, instructed.

Vivian drove all thoughts of Taz, Shira, and everything else out of her mind as she concentrated her entire mind on the combo. She had gone through the movements plenty of times and it was like it was seared into her memory for life. She sashayed again towards the back corner and into a perfect cabriole that she had spent several days – and nights – to perfect. She plied once, and prepped for a double pirouette before twirling twice.

"Decent," the holograph of Jenny said. "Improve your fifth position and work on your turnout before you start your fancy movements. Basic technique is crucial, you can add you head snaps later."

Sighing, Vivian turned back towards the barre and began working the arch of her feet, stretching it and feeling the slightly burning pain in her toes. Her mind wandered again to Taz. She had spent part of the night trying to convince herself that she didn't care whether he flirted with other girls or not. After all, she never stuck to one guy for longer than two weeks. Skating would eventually win out and she would leave behind said boy behind and never see him again. That was how it always worked back in Colorado. So why the _hell_ did she feel the need to destroy and humiliate some Giselle girl the same way she had destroyed Rebecca? Maybe because she hated how a girl seemed better than her? She thought about it. She didn't even know Giselle, yet she already hated the girl who had snagged Taz's attention, even if it was just for a brief period of time.

_Dammit._ She immediately chastised herself. Vivian Dresden did not obsess over boys. They weren't worth it. No no no no no. Thinking about boys instead of skating was a total NO. She had learned that from her mother from an early age. After all, that was what happened to her mother. Danielle Dresden had been at the peak of her career until her boyfriend dumped her, causing her to become distracted during her long program at the Olympics. She fell and injured her leg, a severe injury that put her off the ice for at least two years. Needless to say, that was the end of her mother's skating career.

Skating was her main focus, it was her life and no boy was going to get in the way of that. So why the _hell_ was Taz freaking Brazille popping up in almost every thought of hers?

She gave up on trying to focus and glanced over at the clock. Ten more minutes till her session was over. She threw an exasperated look towards the holograph machine and piquéd over to switch it off.

"Bye, Jenny," she muttered. After all, there was no way she was going to be able to focus right now. A part of her longed to run straight to the rink and turn her brain off as she worked mechanically on her triple flip but the other part of her was screaming for a break.

"Oh, what the hell," Vivian grumbled as she threw everything in her bag and left the Dionysus Theater with a feeling of failure and frustration coursing through her body.

A few minutes later, the early sunrise found Vivian sitting on a rock in the Azure Cove as the sea waves lapped at the rocks and she let her feet dangle in the cool water. The cool morning breeze from the ocean cooled her sweating body and blew her dark hair gently. She rubbed her forehead as she tried to push all thoughts of skating, Taz, Giselle and her mother out of her mind. It was giving her a headache.

She had gone to the rink this morning, trying to force the tangle of thoughts out of her head. It was unsuccessful. She had fallen on every triple she tried, her speed with her spins were barely half as good as her usual performance and somehow slipped and fell during a spread-eagle. Something that hadn't happened since she was seven. What was _wrong_ with her?

The answer immediately popped into her mind. Taz. And Giselle.

"Ugh!" she cried in pure frustration. This was _not_ supposed to be happening. She was letting a boy – a Brazille boy, but a boy nonetheless – get in the way of her skating. Her mother would have killed her. And so would have Nataylia, her old coach who seemed to share much of her mother's thoughts. She was hitting an all-time low. Her legs didn't obey her, she slammed into the ice every time she attempted a jump and she was bruised all over with a mind that wandered in a million different directions.

She leapt up her seat on the rocks and screamed out in a fit of pent-up anger.

"Well someone's frustrated," a voice came from the entrance of the cove.

Vivian inwardly cursed and spun around to face the boy who had been invading her thoughts for the past twenty-four hours.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped, her defensive mood jumping up and into place.

"Whoa, no need to get all feisty on me," he grinned.

Vivian refused to let herself be won over by just a simple smirk. Her crush alerts screaming with red alarms all over her but her rational side squashed it down with an eye-roll. If she was in a cartoon movie, she would have those two things on her shoulders. One devil and one angel. The devil would have been urging her jump Taz like any other Brazilly Boy fan while the angel would have been shaking her head and thinking about her mother, her skating and her dream of the Olympics.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Vivian raised an eyebrow at Taz.

"Aren't _you_?" he countered. He moved away from the entrance to sit down on a rock besides Vivian.

"No," Vivian replied flatly. "I took a mental health day."

"Hard to believe my mother encourages that,"

"She doesn't need to know," Vivian looked over at Taz, silently daring him to tell on her.

"So, we both ditched. How about we go have so fun?" he grinned at her. "Maybe go swimming or something."

Vivian stared at him, her cold façade dissolving into slight shock. "Are you crazy?"

"I am 100% serious, Miss Vivian Dresden," he deadpanned. "So, yes?"

"Should I be flattered that you even remembered my name?"

"Yeah," he grinned.

"Heard you had a hot date last night," Vivian said. She wasn't going anywhere with Taz until she knew all his motives.

"Are you stalking me?" Taz looked at Vivian with a wicked smirk.

"No, I'm not," she replied indignantly. "Gossip flys around fast."

"Nice to know I'm such an interesting topic of discussion," he laughed.

Vivian rolled her eyes while she suppressed a laugh.

"Not that I care but there are a bunch of other girls who would drop everything to talk to you," Vivian countered. "You're just wasting your time, here."

"Oh really? What if I'm interesting in a certain brunette with a thing for ice-skating?"

Vivian had to give it to him. He was just as smooth and charming like every girl claimed him to be.

"You mean Dannie?" Vivian answered. "I'm sure that could be arranged."

"So you like playing hard to get, huh?" Taz mulled over that thought before throwing another heart-melting grin at Vivian.

_No no no no no no no no no no. _Her rational side was chanting the word NO over and over, as if it would make Taz disppear. Her crush alerts were all out now, sirens wailing at top volume.

Vivian smirked and flipped her hair. "What if I'm sincerely not interested?"

"You still haven't answered my question," Taz said.

"And you haven't answered mine," Vivian countered.

"About your interested? I'd say you're lying to yourself," he said with a cocky smile. "So….back to my question."

"About going swimming?"

Taz grinned, "There's a place up in the mountain area, with loads of hot springs, want to check it out with me?"

Vivian considered that for a minute. There were so many things that could go wrong. One, it would break her probation rules. Two, it would require her ditching her solo session with the skating holograph machine. Three, she could get caught and busted. Four, her mother – and her rational side – would murder her.

"What about the rest of your admirers, do you usually take them swimming?" Vivian asked. She wondered what he had done with Giselle last night. Take her out on a boat ride in the ocean?

"Nope, just you," Taz grinned at Vivian. She could feel the hard walls built around her heart collapsing in as the part that wanted to go with Taz gradually begin to take over.

"What about Giselle?" Vivian still wanted to know where he stood with her.

"We met up, talked, I got bored, I left," Taz shrugged simply. "Less than ten minutes, tops."

Vivian flicked a glance at her aPod, they had talked for over twenty minutes. She had already missed ten crucial minutes of her skating session. And besides, if she turned down Taz – she'd be distracted the entire day with thoughts about him. Damn it. Boys really weren't healthy.

_Screw this. _Vivian thought. This whole thing was messed up. She always found time to insert fun between training but since Shira threatened her, she had worked herself to death and given up all forms of social life. This wasn't what she wanted. Vivian knew that skating was important, but to throw away her life? No. She had always been able to fit things together to make her life fun and exciting while working hard at the same time. That was the Vivian that got into Alpha Academy. She wasn't going to let a stupid rule change her lifestyle. No. It was time for some real fun.

"Sure," she finally replied, after making him wait for twenty-three seconds.

Taz grinned at her. "We're going to have a kick-ass time, you and me,"

He grabbed her hand and towed her out of the cove and towards bubble train. As they swung themselves up on the roof of the train compartments, Vivian laughed freely as the wind whipped their hair as Taz set the train to go on a special track, a special train track that led up to the mountains. She hadn't been this light-hearted since she arrived at the Colorado Springs Skating Center.

Taz tapped in a command in his aPod that he had somehow connected to the bubble train's control center. The train sped up and Vivian felt the full force of the wind whipping her hair as she grabbed onto the railing.

"You're crazy!" she screamed over the wind.

"So are you!" he yelled back.

It was sheer madness. Hacking into the bubble train for a wild getaway with a forbidden Brazille boy was extreme – even for Vivian. But wild and crazy things were Vivian's speciality. Just as long as she didn't get caught.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

Ali pushed back a chunk of hair that had stuck to her forehead as she ran steadily on the treadmill of the Atlanta Gym. Vanessa, her jockey muse, had ordered each girl to log workout sessions in the Atlanta Gym to work on their physical condition. Glancing at the shiny screen, she saw that she had ran a little over two miles. Her charcoal gray sweats were rolled up mid-calf and she had put on a silver cami. Her chocolate brown hair was tied up in a ponytail and her bangs were pinned up and off her sweaty forehead.

She wondered if other alphas had to go through this physical torture every day, too. Yes, it would improve her body, her stamina and blah blah blah. But it didn't mean that she had to like it. She was just going to have to deal with it. She knew that Vivian worked herself to death like this every day just like Ali herself, but she envied Reid who didn't need to drown herself in sweat almost every morning.

"Almost done, Ali?" Andie called. Andrea Cameron – nicknamed Andie – was one of the three girls who also took a jockey track at Alpha Academy. Female jockeys were extremely rare, hence the reason why Ali, Andrea and Rachel Miller were the only girls in Vanessa's hardcore class. Other girls might have taken horse-back riding, dressage or other things for fun but Ali, Andie and Rachel were the only serious girls about riding.

"One. Second," Ali gasped out as she pushed her legs faster on the treadmill.

"Done!" she cried out as she stabbed the button and collapsed off the treadmill and onto the floor.

"Me too," said Rachel as she threw herself onto a mat besides Ali. Andie slid down slowly to sit besides Ali.

"Girls!" the commanding voice of Vanessa resonated through the gym. Ali immediately stood up as Vanessa approached, with the ferocity of a drill sergeant.

_Oh god, no. _

"Since you girls are already on the mats, I want one hundred crunchs. Nonstop," Vanessa ordered with her no-nonsense tone of voice.

"Now start,"

With her muscles screaming in protest, Ali laid down on a gold mat, place her hands behind her head and began to lift her head and shoulders off the mat.

"One, two, three, four, five, six," Vanessa kept count as the girl did their crunches. If one of them fell behind, they all had to stop and start over again. A rule that Ali hated with her whole heart. But becoming an alpha wasn't all happiness and sunshine. Ali was determined to succeed. And she would do a hundred million crunches if that was all it took. It was time to show the world and her moronic family what Ali Ryan was capable of. She was going to kick everyone's ass at the races and she'd be the top jockey in the world. No one was going to stop her. No one.

"Vanessa was strict today, wasn't she?" commented Rachel as the three girls left the Atlanta Gym with their gold gym bags slung over their shoulders.

"She's always strict," said Ali simply. That was a fact. Vanessa was one of the strictest and most demanding muse that Ali ever met. She doubted if Vivian's skating muse, Tori, was as strict as Vanessa. From what Ali saw, Vivian pushed herself to be the best, no matter who her coach was, and that was one of the things Ali admired about Vivian. The two of them had a lot more in common than the rest of the Taylor Swifts, a reason why they were closer. They knew the harsh lives of competition, knew what it felt like when their body felt like it was going to die, knew what they needed to sacrifice for their goals. And neither of them had eaten chocolate since they were two.

The morning had passed in a blur. The sun was slowly shifting over to the west, letting the afternoon begin. The three girls were all headed towards their afternoon classes and Ali was headed towards Fashion Style.

"Hi Summer," Ali greeted the blonde singer alpha as she slid into a seat besides her housemate.

A few seconds later, Vivian blew in the door with her hair rumpled into a style dissimilar to Suzanne Walter's full blonde beachy waves. A bright smile lingered on the brunette's lips as she entered the room. _Well someone had a good day._ Vivian slid into the seat besides Ali as she flicked out her aPod and synced it with her touchscreen computer in front of her. Each girl was situated in a chair behind a touchscreen computer. With flat, sleek screens that allowed girls to design their own wardrobe, the class was a popular one.

"Alright, girls," the muse, Valerie, called out. "Today is an easy day, just continue working on your latest outfit and…."

Ali pressed on the image of a closet to find her latest pieces ordered neatly by the date. To her right, Vivian had already opened her file on her newest skating dress and was adding intricate designs to her dress. She traced a slim finger over the surface of the screen, letting a string of beads appear on the screen where her finger had left. She was currently creating a delicate beaded chiffon dress.

"Pretty," commented Ali.

"It's my Olympic dress," Vivian said quietly. "The one I'm going to wear to my first Olympics, I've been designing this in my mind since I was five."

"Oh," Ali was slightly surprised. "It's really pretty, though."

Ali looked at Vivian's creation. It looked simple to the eye but it was an intricate work of art. While Vivian claimed that she was horrible at drawing and painting, Ali had to admit that the girl had an eye for fashion. She turned away from Vivian's work and focused her attention on her own.

Flicking an icon at the corner of the screen, Ali pulled open her newest design – a emerald-green dress. She had tired of designing riding outfits and had decided to create something more….fancy. With shimmery green fabric that sparkled like emeralds, Ali cut the skirt of the dress by tracing precise lines on the sensitive touchscreen and adjusted the neckline and sleeves. The faint hum of the computers was overlapped by the quiet chatter of the girls as the designed their outfits and traded gossip.

Ali felt a slight buzzing in her pocket. She glanced around surreptiously for the muse, Valerie, before hurriedly whipping out her aPod.

**Dingo: **Yellow. Wanna hang with us near the lake tonight? Bring your roomies and I'll bring my bros ;)

**Ali: **Sure we're not going to get caught?

**Dingo: **Hell, no. 'Sides, mom's away on some secret business trip.

**Ali:** I guess…..

**Dingo:** It's a date then!

**Ali:** See you at nine!

"Ohmygosh, you will not believe what just happened!" Ali hissed in a side note to Vivian while Summer leaned in to listen.

"What's up?" Vivian muttered back, while adding sparkles to her dress.

"Dingo asked us to hang with him and the rest of Brazille boys tonight!" Ali whispered in excitement.

"No way!" exclaimed Summer, her navy blue eyes lit up in excitement.

"Shhhh!" Vivian straightened up from their huddled and sent a charming smile at Ashley Bell who was walking by, on her way to ask Valerie a question.

"Dingo texted you?" asked Summer.

"Yes!" Ali was barely able to contain her squeal of excitement. "At the lake," she whispered back.

"Are we going?" wondered Summer, a flicker of doubt crossed her eyes and her eyebrows wrinkled together in concern.

"Yes!" Ali said.

Vivian didn't reply. She traced patterns absently on her touchscreen while seemingly lost in thought. A secret smile danced over her lips for a second before she looked up at Ali.

"We're going," she smirked. "I don't you if you are Summer, but we definitely are. And I doubt Reid would pass up a chance to mack on her boy toy."

Summer nodded before turning back to her screen.

"Everything good, girls?" Valerie appeared at Ali's elbow and peered at her work.

"Of course," Vivian smiled sweetly at Valerie before distracting her with other questions about fabric, chiffon and silk while Valerie was oblivious to the gold text bubbles filling up the screen of Ali's phone that innocently sat on her desk.

Ali quickly slid her aPod shut and slipped it back in her pocket and turned back to her emerald green dress.

She was going to hang out with Dingo tonight! Her first meeting that would be over a two-minute bubble train ride.

* * *

X-X-X

* * *

**Vivian:** Heard Giselle had an interesting date with Mr. Taz Brazille himself last night…

**Dannie:** Oh really? Dang! You mad at her?

**Vivian: **Why should I? We're not competing for the guy.

**Dannie: ** You keep telling yourself that, girl. That guy's got a hot body and lips that can kiss like no other…..you're crazy if your going to let Giselle have him.

**Vivian:** Who says I actually like him.

**Dannie: **Girl, please. It's obvious.

**Darwin: **You're coming tonight right?

**Reid: **I'll be there (:

**Darwin: **Can't wait to see you in person :)

**Reid: **Miss you already…

**Darwin: **Three more hours :D

**Reid: **See you!

**Giselle: **OhmyGOD you would not believe it!

**Summer: **Believe what?

**Giselle: **Taz showed up last night! And we talked for _hours_ and ohmygod I think he likes me!

**Summer: **Really? That's great

**Giselle: **We talked and talked and it was just like, way cool!

**Summer: **So…..you just talked?

**Giselle: **Yeah, he left after a while though. But it was because Shira was calling him

**Summer: **Oh

**Giselle: **Mmmm, I think he really likes me!

**Summer: **That's great

**Alice: **Want to practice our monologues together later?

**Marin: **Sure! That'll be wicked! At least Sabrina's not around….

**Alice: **Oh yeah, she's really a…..

**Marin: **Witch with a b? I get 'cha.

**Alice: **Ready for Rosaline's first test?

**Marin: **Oooh, yes. Can't wait to see the look on Sabrina's face when you finally kick her ass!

**Alice: **LOL

**Ali: **Spill! You ditched this morning for TAZ BRAZILLE!

**Vivian: **Oh just yell it out, won't you?

**Ali: **It's a text, honey. No one can hear it.

**Vivian: **It was meant to be sarcastic.

**Ali: **Stop changing the subject! Where, when, what, how and WHY?

**Vivian: **We went swimming…..

**Ali: **In a BIKINI! Ooh girl! Someone's adventurous!

**Vivian: **It was the hot springs

**Ali: **Day-UM! You + Bikini + Taz = OHMYGOSH!

**Vivian: **Be jealous ;)

**Ali: **Oh I am, girl. Don't worry

**Vivian: **It's not like we're official

**Ali: **Only a matter of time before you find out that boys are just as important than skating, honey.

* * *

**All my life I've been good, but now,**

**I'm thinking what the hell,**

**All I want is to mess around,**

**And I don't really care about,**

**If you love me, if you hate me,**

**You can't save me,**

**Baby, baby, **

**All my life I've been good, but now,**

**Whoooa what the hell.**

* * *

**So! Review! Review! Review! REVIEW! They make my day!**

**Oh! And if you haven't, check out my new spin-off, it's called Let's Get Dancey and it features Annie Giordano, Corona White and one new character! There's only a plot summary right now...but it'll be updated!**

**So...I just noticed that I never really had a section where Vivian actually _talked_ to Taz...so it's in here! :) Hope you liked it! Next chapter, Summer, Ali, Alice, Reid and Vivian meet up with the Brazille Boys! :O Wonder what happens...**

**Songs: Perfect Two by Auburn (It's the most adorable song ever!) and What the Hell by Avril Lavigne (inspired Vivian's newfound reckless attitude when she ditched skating for Taz)**

**One more thing! I'd like to thank ALL THE PEOPLE who have been with this story ever since it started and especially to LuvLife113 for sticking with this story ever since the very beginning and reviewing every single chapter! And to alicemaybrandonjones who has also reviewed every single chapter with tons of advice and edits for me! Thanks! Let's hope this chapter will be a little more typo-free, yes? :) **

**One more thing! Here is a list of characters in here so it's easier to keep with names and houses when I mention them...not all 100 girls, but the ones that I mentioned. Even briefly.**

* * *

**Taylor Swift:**

Summer Williams – singer/songwriter

Vivian Dresden – figure-skater

Ali Ryan – jockey

Alice White – actress

Reid Dame – artist/painter

**Michelle Obama:**

Gwen Sparks - writing

Rebecca Pomerleau – dancing

Sabrina Benson – actress

Isabelle Martin– artist

Sara Wilkes - model

**Beyonce:**

Delphi Rivera – actress

Suzanne Walters – skater

Rachel Miller – jockey

Simone Channings – model

**J.K Rowling:**

Dannie Fletcher– skater

Ashley Bell– painter

Marin Perez– actress

Tammy Duong– inventor

Andrea Cameron (Andie) – jockey

**Hillary Clinton:**

Giselle Sanchez – singer

Mariella Devian - writer

Lily Patterson - figure-skater

**Victoria Beckham:**

Taylor Mitchell - singer

Amy Morgan – drummer (punk rockstar chick)

Siena George - figure-skater

**Other characters:**

Meggie Chang: Vivian's BFF

Jamie Sanders: Vivian's BFF

Andromeda "Andie" Winston: Vivian's BFF

Karolyn Dresden: Vivian's older sister

Cecilia Marlow: Summer's ex-BFF

Greg Williams: Summer's younger brother

Annie Giordano: Cecilia's BFF **(a main character in my other story!)**

Ally Lane: Reid's BFF

Corona White: Alice's sister **(a main character in my other story!)**

Christian Ryan: Ali's brother

Ivory Diamente: Taylor Swift house muse

Hazel: Art muse

Tori: Skating muse

Vanessa: Jockey muse

Jenny: Dance muse

Lucille: Singing muse

Rosaline: Acting muse

Brianna: Model muse (teaches Spotlight Training)

***Note: This list will be updated as the story continues...any suggestions of new characters are encouraged as well as plot ideas...**

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** I don't have a beta, so all the mistakes are mine!**

**-The Lovely Psyche**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi everybody! It's me, The Lovely Psyche, and I'm back again. And to those of you who have been constantly reviewing, I'm sorry. I have decided to discontinue this story after much thought and I've come up with a few reasons.**

**1. I've had a major writer's block while writing Chapter 12 (hence the reason why I haven't been updating for the past...month?) and I figured out that this story was going nowhere. Sure, I had a general plot outline down...but the story has been dragging since the very first updates. **

**2. While thinking over this story I came up with so many "I should have done this" or "I should have done that"**

**3. Honestly? I had lost interest. I could have kept writing (with slower and slower updates) but I seriously doubt that it would have been good quality writing. **

**Now, I'm really am sorry and slightly ashamed of myself (since I did say that I would try my best to finish The One) but I'm deleting this story off fanfic. I want to start a new story and I've got a few plot lines, basic structures and story ideas set...so I think I will. **

**Once again, thanks to my reviewers who have always stuck with this story and I'm sorry.**

**I plan on creating a new SYOC story, however, with my new and improved knowledge of writing SYOC stories. If you would like to submit a character to it, then feel free! (: **

**-The Lovely Psyche**


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